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: squash · rock · drill · kid · ball · bay · pitch · tube

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rock — music
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. kid — child
  11. tube — a container
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. rock — a stone
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. drill — the tool
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pitch — completely
  22. squash — to crush
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pitch — a sports field

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