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: land · drill · snap · cap · hide · bulb · scale · rush

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  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. cap — of ice
  2. rush — hurry
  3. drill — a practice
  4. land — ground
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. land — to come down
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. drill — army training
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. scale — size or range
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. land — a country
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. snap — to click
  20. cap — a hat
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. scale — in music
  23. cap — a lid
  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