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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rock — music
  3. drill — a practice
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. drill — the tool
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. row — a line
  9. net — for catching
  10. row — to paddle
  11. kick — in football
  12. drill — army training
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. rock — a stone
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. race — the arms race
  18. cell — in biology
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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