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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bore — to tire
  9. foot — a measure
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. spring — of water
  13. shower — rain
  14. spring — a coil
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spell — magic
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. spring — the season
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pop — to visit
  23. bore — to drill
  24. shower — to wash

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