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: clip · spell · drill · chest · row · fine · foot · cell

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chest — a box
  3. row — to paddle
  4. drill — a practice
  5. fine — high quality
  6. cell — a phone
  7. clip — a video
  8. chest — of your body
  9. spell — a short time
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spell — magic
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. row — a line
  16. clip — for paper
  17. fine — all right
  18. cell — in biology
  19. clip — to cut
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. drill — army training
  23. spell — letters
  24. cell — in a prison

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