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: squash · snap · wind · bore · chair · race · stand · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bore — to drill
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. squash — to crush
  6. wind — moving air
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. stand — to bear
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mine — for digging
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. snap — to click
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. race — humankind
  17. squash — the sport
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. race — a contest

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