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

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. scale — in music
  5. kid — child
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. kid — to tease
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. drill — a practice
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. sharp — clever
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — army training
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stand — to bear

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