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: roll · bore · lie · coach · saw · cold · object · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. lie — to recline
  3. object — to protest
  4. cold — not warm
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. object — an aim
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a cake
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. saw — the tool
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. object — a thing
  17. fine — all right
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. roll — a list
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cold — an illness
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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