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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. season — in sport
  5. drill — army training
  6. chest — a box
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. press — a publisher
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. season — of the year
  15. press — to push
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. press — newspapers
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. chest — of your body
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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