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: saw · kick · shower · kid · object · ruler · drill · craft

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kid — to tease
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. object — an aim
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kid — child
  11. shower — rain
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. object — to protest
  16. kick — in football
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. craft — a skill
  19. drill — army training
  20. object — a thing
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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