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: hand · cabinet · charge · straw · tear · cue · bore · present

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bore — to tire
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bore — to drill
  7. charge — in control
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. tear — to rip
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hand — help
  18. charge — a price
  19. cue — for pool
  20. charge — electricity
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. present — the time now

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