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: leaves · club · wound · ball · patient · rush · drill · spell

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. spell — a short time
  3. drill — the tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. spell — magic
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. wound — an injury
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. drill — army training
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. ball — a dance
  17. club — a group
  18. drill — a practice
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. ball — a great time
  24. spell — letters

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