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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. drill — the tool
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bass — low music
  8. scale — size or range
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. rule — a law
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. race — a contest
  13. bass — the fish
  14. race — humankind
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. plane — a tool
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. scale — in music
  22. race — the arms race
  23. rule — government
  24. drill — a practice

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