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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. clip — to cut
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pound — a weight
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. clip — a video
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bore — to tire
  18. swing — music
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. ball — a great time
  23. swing — to play on
  24. swing — in golf

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