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: bore · cabinet · leaves · shower · chest · deal · pitcher · wind

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. wind — moving air
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bore — to tire
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. chest — a box
  24. deal — an agreement

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