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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. drill — army training
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. row — a line
  8. drill — the tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wound — an injury
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mine — for digging
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wound — an injury
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mouse — the animal

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