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: lean · game · bat · snap · pound · pit · spring · bore

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spring — the season
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bat — the animal
  7. lean — thin
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. game — wild animals
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pit — a hole
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. spring — of water
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pound — a weight
  24. snap — to click

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