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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spring — of water
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cue — for pool
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cue — a hint
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. cue — a signal
  24. mine — for digging

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