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: staff · lie · drill · fan · racket · cold · craft · jam

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cold — an illness
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. drill — a practice
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. staff — employees
  14. drill — the tool
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. staff — employees
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. cold — not warm
  22. craft — boats
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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