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: fan · pitch · bore · chest · toast · snap · bear · object

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. object — to protest
  5. snap — to click
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. object — a thing
  11. toast — bread
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bore — to tire
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. chest — a box
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. object — an aim
  24. chest — of your body

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