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: cap · deal · drill · field · perch · can · straw · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cap — a lid
  3. can — to be able to
  4. drill — the tool
  5. rush — hurry
  6. deal — to handle
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. drill — army training
  10. can — a tin
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. can — a tin
  13. cap — of ice
  14. field — a subject
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cap — a hat
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. field — for sport
  24. field — farmland

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