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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. club — for dancing
  3. drill — the tool
  4. fall — to drop
  5. file — a document
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wake — a trail
  15. file — a line of people
  16. rest — what's left
  17. club — a group
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. file — a tool
  20. club — for golf
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rest — a break

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