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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. drill — army training
  4. fall — to drop
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. land — ground
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. fall — the season
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. land — to come down
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stock — goods
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. land — a country
  23. stock — shares
  24. fall — to drop

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