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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. current — happening now
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. swing — music
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. plane — a tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. mine — for digging
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. swing — in golf
  19. spring — the season
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. swing — to play on
  22. spring — of water
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. plane — in geometry

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