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 120 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: fan · chair · temple · mark · bore · bowl · spell · pitcher

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — letters
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mark — a trace
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. spell — magic
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — to pay attention
  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