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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mate — a friend
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mate — a partner
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. row — a line
  12. bound — obliged
  13. snap — to click
  14. chest — a box
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bound — certain
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. chest — of your body
  21. row — to paddle
  22. mate — to breed
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bore — to drill

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