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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. drill — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. present — the time now
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. drill — army training
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. present — a gift
  15. drill — a practice
  16. pit — a hole
  17. present — there
  18. pit — in a race

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