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: drill · field · straw · swing · roll · plane · bore · shower

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. drill — a practice
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bore — to drill
  12. shower — rain
  13. bore — to tire
  14. roll — a list
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. drill — army training
  19. field — a subject
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. swing — music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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