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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rash — a series
  3. land — to come down
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rash — hasty
  6. season — in sport
  7. dip — to sink
  8. drill — the tool
  9. stand — to bear
  10. club — for dancing
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. club — a group
  15. drill — a practice
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. land — a country
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. season — of the year
  22. land — ground
  23. club — for golf
  24. fork — in a road

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