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: rash · fan · tear · chest · track · plane · drill · firm

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  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. firm — a company
  2. tear — to rip
  3. firm — steady
  4. track — a path
  5. rash — a series
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — from crying
  9. drill — the tool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. track — a song
  12. chest — a box
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chest — of your body
  15. drill — army training
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. drill — a practice
  22. firm — decided
  23. fan — a supporter
  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