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: hand · kick · fall · rest · sharp · fan · drill · mate

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  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. drill — the tool
  2. mate — to breed
  3. fall — to drop
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. hand — help
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. hand — in cards
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mate — a partner
  13. fall — the season
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fall — to drop
  17. drill — army training
  18. rest — a break
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rest — what's left
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fan — to cool the air
  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