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: row · bank · drill · pound · bat · kid

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. drill — the tool
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bank — for money
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. kid — child
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bank — of a river
  9. row — a line
  10. bank — for money
  11. pound — a weight
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. kid — to tease
  18. bat — for baseball

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