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: toast · bay · bat · cap · bore · spell · spring · net

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. net — after costs
  3. toast — bread
  4. spring — of water
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bat — the animal
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. net — for catching
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cap — a hat
  16. net — in sport
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. spring — the season
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cap — a lid
  24. spring — a coil

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