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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. present — the time now
  3. net — in sport
  4. stand — to bear
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — tied together
  7. net — after costs
  8. drill — army training
  9. shower — rain
  10. march — the month
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. net — for catching
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. drill — a practice
  18. bound — obliged
  19. present — a gift
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. present — there
  23. shower — to wash
  24. kick — in football

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