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: wound · ball · hand · drill · perch · bore · bay · press

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wound — an injury
  5. press — to push
  6. bore — to tire
  7. perch — the fish
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. press — newspapers
  16. wound — an injury
  17. press — a publisher
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. drill — army training
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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