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: rock · craft · bat · squash · club · bore · coach · roll

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rock — music
  6. club — for golf
  7. roll — a list
  8. club — for dancing
  9. squash — the sport
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. squash — to crush
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bat — the animal
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. club — a group
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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