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 120 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: rush · drill · row · nail · pitcher · wax · cell · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. drill — army training
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. rush — hurry
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wax — to grow
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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