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: stick · row · plane · foot · present · march · wind · drill

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. drill — army training
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. row — a line
  8. present — the time now
  9. plane — a tool
  10. row — to paddle
  11. present — there
  12. wind — moving air
  13. march — the month
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. present — a gift
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. march — music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. drill — the tool
  22. march — the month
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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