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 120 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 · shower · fine · saw · bay · racket · ball · rock

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. rock — music
  9. shower — to wash
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ball — a dance
  12. shower — rain
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. fine — all right
  17. bore — to drill
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. ball — a great time
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ball — a round shape

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