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: hide · cold · charge · pit · net · march · bore · calf

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. pit — in a race
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. march — music
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. net — after costs
  8. charge — electricity
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. march — the month
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — for catching
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cold — not warm
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bore — to tire
  21. march — the month
  22. charge — in control
  23. pit — a hole
  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