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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. track — a path
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. drill — army training
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. drill — a practice
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. drill — the tool
  9. track — to keep track
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. saw — the tool
  12. sharp — clever
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. track — a song
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bulb — for light
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. deal — to handle
  23. club — a group
  24. bulb — for light

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