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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. drill — the tool
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. file — a tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — thin
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. scale — size or range
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. file — a document
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lean — to bend
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. file — a line of people
  20. scale — in music
  21. drill — a practice
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. coach — a trainer

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