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

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. can — a tin
  4. land — to come down
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. land — ground
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. drill — a practice
  11. land — a country
  12. drill — the tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. kid — to tease
  15. can — to be able to
  16. kid — child
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rush — hurry
  19. row — to paddle
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. row — a line
  23. drill — army training
  24. lash — an eyelash

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