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: snap · charge · bore · swing · bat · wind · craft · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. bat — the animal
  6. swing — to play on
  7. swing — in golf
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. roll — a cake
  10. charge — a price
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. charge — in control
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bore — to drill
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. bore — to tire
  18. swing — music
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. charge — electricity
  21. wind — moving air
  22. snap — to click
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bat — for baseball

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