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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. drill — army training
  4. fine — all right
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — a path
  9. capital — a city
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. track — a song
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. drill — the tool
  18. tear — from crying
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. tear — to rip
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bat — the animal
  23. capital — money
  24. tear — from crying

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