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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. track — a song
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. cue — a hint
  6. club — for dancing
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. cue — a signal
  11. stock — shares
  12. club — for golf
  13. stock — goods
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bore — to tire
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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