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: bore · wound · mouse · rush · ball · lean · hand · saw

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lean — thin
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. saw — the tool
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bore — to tire
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hand — in cards
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hand — help
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wound — an injury
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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