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: nail · cabinet · file · bore · chest · drill · content · stock

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. content — happy
  3. file — a document
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. file — a tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chest — a box
  12. file — a line of people
  13. drill — the tool
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stock — shares
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stock — goods
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. content — the amount
  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