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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. root — of a word
  4. rock — a stone
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. scale — size or range
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spring — of water
  11. tear — to rip
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spring — a coil
  14. press — to push
  15. drill — a practice
  16. root — the cause
  17. hand — in cards
  18. tear — from crying
  19. hand — help
  20. spring — the season
  21. root — of a plant
  22. tear — from crying
  23. scale — in music
  24. rock — music

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