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: court · wound · pass · drill · nail · hide · fan · squash

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. court — of law
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. court — for sport
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pass — a permit
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — an injury
  18. drill — a practice
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — of a king
  24. drill — the tool

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