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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fall — the season
  10. rule — government
  11. row — to paddle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wake — a trail
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fall — to drop
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rule — a law
  20. row — a line
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. deal — to handle
  23. drill — army training
  24. row — a quarrel

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