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: bat · shower · press · snap · firm · drill · fan · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bark — to shout
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. firm — a company
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. snap — to click
  11. shower — rain
  12. press — to push
  13. firm — decided
  14. drill — army training
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. press — newspapers
  18. firm — steady
  19. drill — a practice
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. press — a publisher

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