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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. board — a committee
  4. bat — the animal
  5. swing — music
  6. pop — music
  7. board — to get on
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. date — the fruit
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pit — in a race
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pop — soda
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. snap — to click
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bore — to tire

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