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: pop · spell · bore · net · date · bear · swing · wound

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bore — to drill
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pop — soda
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. swing — in golf
  9. pop — to visit
  10. spell — letters
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. net — for catching
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. date — the fruit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. spell — magic
  20. net — after costs
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. net — in sport

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