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: bore · mine · rule · racket · mouse · arm · roll · band

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. roll — a list
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rule — a law
  10. bore — to tire
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. band — a music group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bore — to drill
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. band — a ring
  19. rule — government
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. racket — for tennis

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