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: nail · bore · stand · charge · saw · wound · spell · season

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stand — to bear
  3. spell — letters
  4. wound — an injury
  5. season — in sport
  6. charge — a price
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. spell — magic
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. charge — electricity
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. charge — in control
  19. saw — the tool
  20. spell — a short time
  21. season — of the year
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. saw — the tool
  24. season — to add flavour

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