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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. present — the time now
  5. mine — for digging
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. squash — to crush
  11. file — a line of people
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. present — there
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. roll — a cake
  20. swing — music
  21. roll — a list
  22. squash — the sport
  23. present — a gift
  24. squash — the vegetable

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