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 124 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bore — to tire
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. plane — a tool
  5. last — final
  6. spring — a coil
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. drill — army training
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spring — the season
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. drill — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. spring — of water
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — a practice
  24. can — a tin

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