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: spring · sharp · arm · hide · bore · pit · cabinet · land

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. land — ground
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — to come down
  8. spring — a coil
  9. pit — in a race
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pit — a hole
  12. land — a country
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. spring — the season
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — of water
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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