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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. drill — a practice
  3. saw — the tool
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wind — moving air
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a path
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. drill — army training
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. drill — the tool
  18. track — a song
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kick — in football
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rule — a law
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wind — to turn a key

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