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: bowl · jam · bore · bass · race · roll · club · drill

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bore — to drill
  6. roll — a list
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. race — a contest
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. club — a group
  13. drill — army training
  14. race — humankind
  15. club — for golf
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. drill — a practice
  18. roll — a cake
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. bass — low music
  23. drill — the tool
  24. race — the arms race

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