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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cap — a hat
  3. drill — the tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. rash — a series
  6. net — for catching
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. drill — a practice
  9. net — in sport
  10. cap — a lid
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wake — a trail
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mug — a face
  19. net — after costs
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. rash — hasty
  24. row — a line

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