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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — a country
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. ball — a great time
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bat — the animal
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a dance
  15. row — to paddle
  16. drill — the tool
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. row — a line
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. land — ground
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. drill — army training

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