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: bound · deal · mark · shower · racket · drill · rush · rule

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. drill — a practice
  5. deal — to handle
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. bound — obliged
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bound — certain
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — government
  14. shower — rain
  15. rush — hurry
  16. shower — to wash
  17. drill — army training
  18. mark — a grade
  19. rule — a law
  20. bound — tied together
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. drill — the tool
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. racket — for tennis

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