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 120 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: racket · shower · ball · hand · staff · mug · fall · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bore — to tire
  5. staff — employees
  6. fall — to drop
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fall — the season
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mug — a cup
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mug — to rob
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hand — help
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. hand — in cards
  22. staff — employees
  23. mug — a face
  24. shower — rain

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