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: bowl · bore · row · club · toast · mine · snap · saw

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bore — to tire
  6. row — a line
  7. toast — bread
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. club — a group
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bore — to drill
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. snap — to click
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. club — for golf

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