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: roll · ruler · shower · rock · chest · track · patient · drill

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. shower — rain
  3. drill — the tool
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. roll — a list
  7. drill — army training
  8. shower — to wash
  9. chest — a box
  10. roll — a cake
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rock — a stone
  18. drill — a practice
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. track — a path
  21. chest — of your body
  22. rock — music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. ruler — for measuring

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