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: drill · root · game · file · lash · foot · fork · stick

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. root — of a word
  6. drill — army training
  7. root — of a plant
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. file — a document
  12. fork — in a road
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. file — a tool
  16. foot — a measure
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. file — a line of people
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. root — the cause
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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