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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. swing — in golf
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. staff — employees
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bulb — for light
  13. staff — employees
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bass — low music
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. swing — music
  19. snap — to click
  20. staff — a stick
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bass — the fish
  24. bulb — for light

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