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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · shower · ruler · drill · band · fall

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. drill — army training
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — for dancing
  6. band — a music group
  7. drill — a practice
  8. band — a ring
  9. shower — rain
  10. club — for golf
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fall — the season
  18. drill — the tool

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