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 120 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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. drill — the tool
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. scale — in music
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. deal — to handle
  9. foot — a measure
  10. cold — an illness
  11. drill — a practice
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. scale — size or range
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. rash — hasty
  20. drill — army training
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cold — not warm

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