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: court · drill · jam · mouse · ground · bore · mug · shower

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. drill — army training
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — a position
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mug — a cup
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. shower — rain
  18. court — of a king
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mug — a face
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. mouse — the animal
  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