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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mate — to breed
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cue — a hint
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cue — a signal
  9. game — a match
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. game — wild animals
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bore — to drill
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. craft — boats
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bore — to tire
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cue — for pool
  22. press — a publisher
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. press — to push

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