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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. drill — the tool
  3. last — finally
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. shower — rain
  8. current — happening now
  9. drill — army training
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. last — final
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. current — of water
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. current — electric
  23. drill — a practice
  24. bear — to put up with

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