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: row · dip · fork · bore · cap · pitcher · spring · bat

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cap — a hat
  9. spring — of water
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. spring — the season
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. row — a line
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bat — the animal
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cap — a lid
  24. fork — a garden tool

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