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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mug — to rob
  6. degree — an amount
  7. drill — army training
  8. mug — a face
  9. spell — magic
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mug — a cup
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bore — to tire
  18. degree — temperature
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. key — in music
  21. drill — a practice
  22. spell — letters
  23. bore — to drill
  24. key — for a lock

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