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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — army training
  3. cap — a hat
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. row — a line
  6. saw — the tool
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rule — government
  11. rule — a law
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. row — to paddle
  16. cap — of ice
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. band — a music group
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — a face
  22. perch — the fish
  23. band — a ring
  24. perch — for a bird

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