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: pop · craft · spell · kid · tear · mark · press · bore

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. press — to push
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. bore — to drill
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spell — letters
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. craft — a skill
  14. spell — magic
  15. craft — boats
  16. mark — a trace
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pop — soda
  20. tear — from crying
  21. mark — a grade
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. tear — to rip
  24. craft — a handicraft

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