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 116 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. ground — a position
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tear — from crying
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. shower — rain
  8. drill — a practice
  9. rock — music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. tear — from crying
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ground — the earth
  19. season — of the year
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. season — in sport
  22. shower — to wash
  23. drill — the tool
  24. tear — to rip

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