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: object · present · firm · hide · field · drill · cold · bore

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. bore — to drill
  3. firm — a company
  4. object — a thing
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. field — a subject
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. drill — army training
  11. object — to protest
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. present — a gift
  14. firm — steady
  15. present — there
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — for sport
  20. object — an aim
  21. cold — not warm
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. firm — decided

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