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: lean · cue · pitch · ruler · club · bore · mine · last

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. last — to go on
  3. club — for golf
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lean — to bend
  7. last — finally
  8. cue — a signal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. cue — a hint
  13. club — a group
  14. last — final
  15. lean — thin
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bore — to drill
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. cue — for pool
  24. mine — for digging

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