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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. wind — moving air
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cap — a hat
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wind — moving air
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fine — all right
  13. game — a match
  14. cap — of ice
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. craft — boats
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. drill — the tool
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. cap — a lid
  22. kick — in football
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. game — wild animals

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