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: rash · lie · kick · cold · bore · bat · bowl · season

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bore — to drill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. lie — to recline
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cold — not warm
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. season — in sport
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rash — a series
  20. season — of the year
  21. cold — an illness
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bore — gave birth

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