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 120 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: drill · row · spell · deal · track · fine

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. fine — all right
  3. track — a path
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. spell — a short time
  7. deal — to handle
  8. row — to paddle
  9. spell — magic
  10. track — a song
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spell — letters
  13. fine — high quality
  14. drill — the tool
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. drill — army training
  18. track — to keep track

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