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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chip — to eat
  4. suit — to fit
  5. swing — music
  6. bank — for money
  7. swing — to play on
  8. net — for catching
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mine — for digging
  11. suit — in cards
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. net — after costs
  14. swing — in golf
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. net — in sport
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bank — for money

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