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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. field — a subject
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. band — a music group
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bass — low music
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. field — for sport
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bass — the fish
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. band — a ring
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bear — the animal
  22. field — farmland
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bear — the animal

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