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: rash · last · march · root · drill · mouse · straw · fan

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. root — of a plant
  3. last — final
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — music
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rash — hasty
  8. march — the month
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. last — finally
  12. root — the cause
  13. drill — army training
  14. rash — a series
  15. last — to go on
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. root — of a word
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. march — the month
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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