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: wind · bore · cap · arm · drill · bass · perch · pit

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bore — to tire
  5. perch — the fish
  6. bass — low music
  7. cap — of ice
  8. drill — army training
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. drill — the tool
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cap — a hat
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bass — the fish
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cap — a lid

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