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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. staff — employees
  3. row — to paddle
  4. drill — the tool
  5. row — a line
  6. kid — to tease
  7. current — of water
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. land — ground
  10. staff — employees
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. land — to come down
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. land — a country
  18. current — electric
  19. staff — a stick
  20. drill — a practice
  21. current — happening now
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. drill — army training
  24. kid — child

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