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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. swing — to play on
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. pit — in a race
  6. chest — of your body
  7. face — part of the head
  8. drill — army training
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. chest — of your body
  14. swing — in golf
  15. face — to point toward
  16. swing — music
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. face — to confront
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. drill — a practice
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. chest — a box

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