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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · game · date · board · spring · race · snap · club

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. race — the arms race
  3. spring — of water
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bore — to drill
  8. race — humankind
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. spring — a coil
  13. bore — to tire
  14. snap — to click
  15. club — for dancing
  16. game — a match
  17. date — the fruit
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. spring — the season
  20. race — a contest
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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