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: dip · spell · bore · bay · chair · bear · fall · deal

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bore — to drill
  5. spell — letters
  6. fall — the season
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. spell — a short time
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chair — a leader
  18. fall — to drop
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bear — the animal
  23. spell — magic
  24. fall — to drop

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