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: tear · scale · drill · fan · cue · content · kid · lash

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. drill — a practice
  3. tear — to rip
  4. cue — for pool
  5. kid — to tease
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. scale — size or range
  9. kid — child
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. content — happy
  13. cue — a hint
  14. scale — in music
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cue — a signal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. content — the amount
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. scale — for weighing

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