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: drill · shower · fork · pit · cabinet · rush · clip · lean

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. pit — a hole
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. clip — a video
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rush — hurry
  11. clip — for paper
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. drill — army training
  16. shower — rain
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. lean — thin
  20. clip — to cut
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. shower — to wash
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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