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: rest · mug · fork · land · drill · race · spell · pass

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — a face
  3. rest — a break
  4. drill — a practice
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spell — magic
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. race — a contest
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. land — ground
  12. race — humankind
  13. drill — the tool
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. land — to come down
  17. rest — what's left
  18. race — the arms race
  19. drill — army training
  20. fork — in a road
  21. mug — to rob
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. land — a country

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