ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bore — to tire
  10. hand — help
  11. present — the time now
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. chest — a box
  14. saw — the tool
  15. can — to be able to
  16. present — a gift
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. chest — of your body
  21. present — there
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. saw — past of 'see'

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com