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: wake · rush · drill · mine · bat · firm · foot · leaves

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bat — the animal
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mine — for digging
  9. rush — hurry
  10. firm — a company
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. firm — decided
  16. wake — a trail
  17. foot — a measure
  18. drill — army training
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. firm — steady
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mine — an explosive

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