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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — army training
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. march — music
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. march — the month
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bat — the animal
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. perch — the fish
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. march — the month
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. perch — for a bird

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