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: game · stand · rush · wind · bore · fall · fork · drill

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. stand — to bear
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. wind — moving air
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. fall — the season
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. bore — to tire
  20. game — a match
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. drill — army training

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