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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. cap — of ice
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cap — a hat
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. snap — to click
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. drill — army training
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. patient — a sick person

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