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: roll · ruler · saw · cold · pit · drill · plane · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. drill — army training
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pop — to visit
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cold — not warm
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pit — a hole
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pop — music
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. drill — a practice
  21. roll — a list
  22. drill — the tool
  23. pit — in a race
  24. plane — a 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