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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rule — a law
  3. drill — the tool
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. drill — army training
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. drill — a practice
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. row — to paddle
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. rule — government
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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