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: present · race · hide · bore · lean · ball · fan · rule

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. present — a gift
  7. rule — a law
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. present — the time now
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. present — there
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. race — humankind
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ball — a great time
  21. race — a contest
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — thin
  24. fan — to cool the air

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