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: bark · pitcher · squash · mouse · content · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. content — the amount
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. drill — army training
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. content — happy
  11. drill — a practice
  12. squash — to crush
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bark — of a tree

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