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: straw · bore · mark · bowl · cap · patient · mouse · land

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cap — of ice
  3. land — ground
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mark — a grade
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bore — to tire
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. land — a country
  17. cap — a hat
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. land — to come down
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bore — gave birth

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