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 116 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: present · bat · game · bore · fine · mug · lie · last

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bat — the animal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. present — a gift
  7. fine — all right
  8. present — there
  9. last — to go on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bore — to tire
  12. mug — a cup
  13. bore — to drill
  14. last — finally
  15. present — the time now
  16. last — final
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mug — a face
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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