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: mouse · race · row · clip · bore · key · pit · bank

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. clip — to cut
  3. race — the arms race
  4. race — humankind
  5. pit — in a race
  6. key — for a lock
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. key — the most important part
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pit — a hole
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. key — in music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — a line
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. race — a contest
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bank — for money
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bank — for money
  22. clip — a video
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bore — gave birth

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