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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. net — in sport
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. roll — a cake
  5. drill — army training
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rest — what's left
  8. content — the amount
  9. drill — a practice
  10. net — for catching
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. roll — a list
  13. kid — to tease
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rest — a break
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. content — happy
  19. net — after costs
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — child
  24. straw — dry grass

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