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: vault · row · wound · dip · cold · bore · pitch · press

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pitch — completely
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. wound — an injury
  13. dip — to sink
  14. press — to push
  15. row — to paddle
  16. wound — an injury
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cold — not warm
  22. row — a line
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. bore — to tire

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