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: mate · swing · straw · bat · bass · racket · sharp · bore

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. mate — a partner
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. swing — music
  8. sharp — clever
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bass — the fish
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bat — the animal
  14. swing — in golf
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bass — low music
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mate — a friend

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