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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. row — a line
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. date — the fruit

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