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 120 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: scale · wake · fork · patient · bore · hide · pop · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. scale — in music
  5. pop — music
  6. drill — army training
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. scale — size or range
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. drill — a practice
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. hide — animal skin

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