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: suit · bark · race · sharp · drill · press · squash · temple

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bark — to shout
  4. race — a contest
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. press — to push
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. drill — a practice
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. race — humankind
  14. drill — army training
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — clever
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. squash — to crush
  22. suit — clothes
  23. race — the arms race
  24. squash — the vegetable

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