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: last · wake · cabinet · mouse · kick · drill · bore · chest

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. last — final
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bore — to tire
  17. kick — in football
  18. drill — the tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. chest — of your body
  22. last — finally
  23. drill — army training
  24. bore — to drill

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