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 124 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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. scale — size or range
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lie — to recline
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. row — to paddle
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. drill — the tool
  19. row — a line
  20. wake — a trail
  21. dip — to sink
  22. saw — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. scale — in 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