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: club · bore · nail · degree · stock · lie · snap · racket

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — a group
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stock — goods
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. degree — temperature
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bore — to tire
  12. club — for golf
  13. stock — shares
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. degree — an amount
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. snap — to click

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