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: safe · tube · shower · drill · tear · wake · ruler · sharp

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. tube — the underground
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tube — a container
  7. shower — to wash
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — clever
  11. drill — a practice
  12. shower — rain
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wake — a trail
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. tear — to rip
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. drill — army training
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tube — in a tire

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