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: drill · bear · rush · ball · file · bass · fan · fork

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. file — a document
  3. bass — the fish
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. file — a line of people
  12. drill — army training
  13. file — a tool
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ball — a dance
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bass — low music
  20. fork — in a road
  21. ball — a great time
  22. drill — a practice
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. ball — a round shape

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