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 · club · court · cue · snap · season · row · vault

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. court — for sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. club — a group
  7. bore — to tire
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. row — to paddle
  10. vault — a safe
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. snap — to click
  13. club — for golf
  14. court — of law
  15. season — of the year
  16. cue — a hint
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. club — for dancing
  19. court — of a king
  20. row — a line
  21. season — in sport
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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