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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bore — to drill
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. band — a ring
  12. roll — a cake
  13. spring — of water
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — the season
  18. pit — in a race
  19. lean — thin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lean — to bend
  23. band — a music group
  24. pit — a hole

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