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 120 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. file — a document
  5. tear — to rip
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spell — magic
  8. pop — soda
  9. pop — to visit
  10. hand — in cards
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. file — a line of people
  14. hand — help
  15. board — to get on
  16. file — a tool
  17. tear — from crying
  18. drill — army training
  19. spell — letters
  20. rash — a series
  21. board — a committee
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pop — music
  24. tear — from crying

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