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: drill · sharp · bat · row · mug · rule · cue · arm

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. drill — a practice
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mug — to rob
  7. drill — army training
  8. cue — a hint
  9. sharp — clever
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. mug — a cup
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cue — for pool
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. mug — a face
  20. row — to paddle
  21. cue — a signal
  22. row — a line
  23. rule — a law
  24. bat — the animal

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