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: rush · mug · wound · nail · drill · arm · straw · row

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. row — to paddle
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. drill — a practice
  15. row — a line
  16. mug — a cup
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mug — a face
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. drill — the tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. wound — an injury

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