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: lean · swing · patient · ruler · drill · rash · row · bore

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lean — thin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rash — a series
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. row — a line
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. swing — in golf
  15. drill — army training
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rash — hasty
  18. bore — to drill
  19. row — to paddle
  20. drill — the tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lean — to bend

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