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 116 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: rule · spell · bat · patient · drill · pound · bulb · pass

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. drill — army training
  6. pound — a weight
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bat — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rule — government
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rule — a law
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pass — a permit
  24. spell — magic

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