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

Word bank: mouse · sharp · spell · current · field · bore · snap · drill

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spell — letters
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. sharp — clever
  6. field — for sport
  7. spell — a short time
  8. field — farmland
  9. drill — a practice
  10. spell — magic
  11. current — electric
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bore — to drill
  15. snap — to click
  16. current — happening now
  17. current — of water
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. drill — the tool
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. drill — army training
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. field — a subject

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