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: rule · mark · bulb · hide · drill · cold · can · shower

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cold — not warm
  3. mark — a trace
  4. shower — to wash
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. can — to be able to
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bulb — for light
  14. can — a tin
  15. drill — a practice
  16. drill — the tool
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cold — an illness
  19. rule — government
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. can — a tin
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mark — a grade

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