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: bay · toast · saw · swing · clip · bore · jam · temple

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bore — to tire
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. swing — music
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. toast — bread
  11. bore — to drill
  12. swing — to play on
  13. saw — the tool
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. clip — to cut
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. swing — in golf
  24. toast — the most admired

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