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: staff · straw · cabinet · bore · bear · cold · pitcher · content

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. content — the amount
  4. cold — an illness
  5. content — happy
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bear — the animal
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bear — the animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. staff — employees
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cold — not warm
  24. bore — to tire

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