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 · tear · pass · press · bowl · track · fan · row

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. tear — to rip
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. tear — from crying
  10. press — to push
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. tear — from crying
  14. drill — the tool
  15. press — newspapers
  16. track — a song
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. row — a line
  19. drill — a practice
  20. press — a publisher
  21. track — a path
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — a permit
  24. row — a quarrel

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