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: squash · wound · rush · saw · stem · current · bear · drill

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. drill — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wound — an injury
  9. squash — the sport
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — electric
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — of water
  24. drill — a practice

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