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: bore · chip · pop · bass · bowl · field · sharp · fine

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fine — all right
  8. bore — to tire
  9. field — farmland
  10. pop — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fine — high quality
  17. field — for sport
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. field — a subject

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