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: chair · drill · cabinet · wind · row · wake · season · rock

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wind — moving air
  4. rock — music
  5. chair — a leader
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wind — moving air
  12. drill — the tool
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. row — a line
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. drill — a practice
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. season — of the year
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. rock — a stone
  24. season — in sport

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