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

Word bank: rule · chest · lean · bowl · bore · cell

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. chest — a box
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rule — government
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rule — a law
  10. cell — in biology
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cell — a phone
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll

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