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: fine · drill · sharp · swing · root · club · bore · lie

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fine — high quality
  5. club — for golf
  6. root — of a word
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. bore — to tire
  9. root — the cause
  10. drill — a practice
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. swing — to play on
  13. club — for dancing
  14. sharp — clever
  15. swing — music
  16. club — a group
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. root — of a plant
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — the tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bore — to drill
  24. swing — in golf

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