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: wind · drill · track · pitcher · temple · trunk · mouse · plane

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wind — moving air
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. track — a song
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. drill — army training
  24. temple — a place of worship

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