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: bore · firm · bark · patient · content · rush · ruler · chest

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. firm — a company
  8. bore — to drill
  9. chest — a box
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. firm — steady
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bark — to shout
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. rush — hurry
  20. chest — of your body
  21. content — happy
  22. firm — decided
  23. content — the amount
  24. ruler — a monarch

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