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: bound · kid · cold · bore · fan · mark · snap · current

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bound — certain
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. kid — child
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. snap — to click
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mark — a grade
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. mark — a trace
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. current — happening now
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bore — to drill
  20. current — of water
  21. current — electric
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bound — obliged

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