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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. scale — size or range
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. lie — to recline
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. tube — the underground
  11. drill — army training
  12. kick — in football
  13. rest — what's left
  14. tube — a container
  15. net — for catching
  16. drill — a practice
  17. sharp — clever
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. scale — in music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. net — in sport
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. net — after costs

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