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: saw · rest · bore · kid · mouse · track · swing · court

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rest — what's left
  3. track — a song
  4. saw — the tool
  5. track — a path
  6. court — of law
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bore — to tire
  11. court — for sport
  12. track — to keep track
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. kid — child
  20. swing — music
  21. rest — a break
  22. kid — to tease
  23. court — of a king
  24. saw — the tool

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