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: cap · hand · ball · board · bore · wind · kid · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. cap — a lid
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. kid — child
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. board — a committee
  10. hand — in cards
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bore — to drill
  14. board — to get on
  15. wind — moving air
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. mug — a cup
  18. hand — help
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. ball — a great time
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mug — a face
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wind — moving 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