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: court · kid · stick · sharp · rush · drill · lean · wound

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — of law
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wound — an injury
  11. lean — thin
  12. rush — hurry
  13. kid — child
  14. drill — the tool
  15. kid — to tease
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. court — of a king
  21. drill — army training
  22. lean — to bend
  23. court — for sport
  24. sharp — clever

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