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: key · cold · net · ball · wake · drill · kid · bore

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. key — in music
  3. drill — army training
  4. net — in sport
  5. kid — child
  6. key — the most important part
  7. net — for catching
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bore — to drill
  13. key — for a lock
  14. net — after costs
  15. bore — to tire
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. drill — the tool
  22. cold — not warm
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. cold — an illness

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