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: mark · deal · hand · net · bore · can · roll · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  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. last — to go on
  2. bore — to drill
  3. net — after costs
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. last — final
  8. roll — a cake
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. hand — help
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. can — to be able to
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. roll — a list
  16. can — a tin
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mark — a grade
  19. last — finally
  20. can — a tin
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — in sport
  23. mark — a trace
  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