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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mug — a cup
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bulb — for light
  9. race — humankind
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mug — a face
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. drill — army training
  23. race — a contest
  24. mug — to rob

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