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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. rock — a stone
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rock — music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kid — child
  10. can — to be able to
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. can — a tin
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. ball — a great time
  21. can — a tin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bowl — a football final

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