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 120 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: bore · saw · spring · bark · net · mouse · present · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. net — for catching
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. net — in sport
  7. present — a gift
  8. net — after costs
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — of water
  12. swing — in golf
  13. spring — a coil
  14. present — the time now
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bore — to tire
  21. present — there
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bore — gave birth

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