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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. drill — a practice
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. present — the time now
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. root — of a word
  10. present — there
  11. root — the cause
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. root — of a plant
  15. drill — army training
  16. scale — in music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. scale — size or range
  21. wax — to grow
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. patient — a sick person

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