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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. club — for golf
  4. drill — army training
  5. mate — a partner
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. row — a line
  9. hand — help
  10. kick — in football
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. mate — to breed
  15. hand — in cards
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bound — tied together
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bound — certain
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bound — obliged
  24. drill — the tool

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