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: drill · face · ruler · mine · shower · roll · hand · toast

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. roll — a list
  4. face — part of the head
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. toast — bread
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. face — to confront
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. hand — in cards
  14. drill — army training
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — for digging
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a cake
  22. hand — help
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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