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: mouse · track · march · pitcher · drill · tube · bore · wound

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. drill — army training
  4. track — a path
  5. march — music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. march — the month
  12. tube — a container
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bore — to tire
  15. march — the month
  16. bore — to drill
  17. track — a song
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. track — to keep track
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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