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: bore · squash · pound · row · bear · net · temple · season

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bore — to tire
  4. row — to paddle
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. season — of the year
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. row — a line
  14. bear — the animal
  15. net — after costs
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. bore — to drill
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. net — for catching
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. temple — a place of worship

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