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 116 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. bore — to drill
  6. spell — letters
  7. cue — a signal
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. swing — to play on
  10. cue — for pool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spell — magic
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cue — a hint
  20. bore — to tire
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pop — music
  24. spell — a short time

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