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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ground — crushed
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bat — the animal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. vault — a safe

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