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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. bass — low music
  3. file — a document
  4. drill — army training
  5. bass — the fish
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wound — an injury
  8. drill — a practice
  9. file — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. wound — an injury
  14. plane — a tool
  15. row — a line
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. file — a line of people
  18. net — after costs
  19. row — to paddle
  20. net — in sport
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. net — for catching
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. row — a quarrel

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