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: bay · band · chip · season · degree · bore · sharp · game

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. season — in sport
  8. chip — for betting
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. chip — to eat
  13. game — wild animals
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bore — to tire
  17. game — a match
  18. degree — temperature
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. season — of the year
  22. band — a ring
  23. degree — from a university
  24. band — a music group

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