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: cabinet · row · pound · tear · bore · land · saw · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bore — to tire
  3. swing — music
  4. land — to come down
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. land — ground
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. swing — to play on
  14. tear — from crying
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. land — a country
  17. bore — to drill
  18. tear — to rip
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — for dogs

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