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: row · face · rush · last · court · drill · jam · rest

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. court — of law
  3. row — a line
  4. face — to confront
  5. drill — the tool
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — for sport
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. drill — a practice
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. last — finally
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. drill — army training
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rest — a break
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. face — part of the head
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. face — to point toward

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