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: drill · bore · ball · press · stock · clip · band · club

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. stock — shares
  3. club — a group
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. clip — to cut
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bore — to tire
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. clip — for paper
  12. band — a music group
  13. bore — to drill
  14. press — to push
  15. stock — goods
  16. clip — a video
  17. press — a publisher
  18. drill — a practice
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. club — for golf
  22. drill — the tool
  23. band — a ring
  24. ball — a dance

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