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

Word bank: cell · mine · bore · rock · bowl · net · degree · present

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. net — for catching
  4. mine — for digging
  5. degree — an amount
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. present — a gift
  9. rock — a stone
  10. cell — a phone
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. present — the time now
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. cell — in biology
  21. present — there
  22. rock — music
  23. bore — to drill
  24. degree — from a university

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