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

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. last — finally
  3. last — final
  4. bore — to tire
  5. swing — in golf
  6. pitch — completely
  7. last — to go on
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bank — for money
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. swing — music
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — in cards

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