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 116 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. firm — decided
  3. hand — help
  4. row — to paddle
  5. firm — a company
  6. swing — to play on
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. swing — in golf
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bore — to drill
  13. row — a line
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. swing — music
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. firm — steady
  24. pass — to spend time

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