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: firm · drill · kid · arm · bear · press · bay · roll

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. firm — steady
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. firm — a company
  9. roll — a list
  10. bear — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bear — the animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. roll — a cake
  15. press — newspapers
  16. kid — to tease
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. drill — the tool
  20. kid — child
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. arm — a part of something

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