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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. charge — a price
  6. dip — to sink
  7. drill — army training
  8. charge — in control
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. land — to come down
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. fine — all right
  16. drill — a practice
  17. spell — magic
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — ground
  20. spell — a short time
  21. land — a country
  22. spell — letters
  23. charge — electricity
  24. fine — a penalty

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