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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mate — a partner
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chest — a box
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chest — of your body
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. drill — army training
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. chest — of your body
  20. drill — a practice
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mark — a trace

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