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: temple · can · cold · kid · bore · straw · drill · lie

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. drill — a practice
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. kid — child
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bore — to tire
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. can — a tin
  13. lie — to recline
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. drill — army training
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bore — to drill
  18. cold — not warm
  19. cold — an illness
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. straw — dry grass

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