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 120 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: cabinet · rest · drill · season · shower · nail · wax · spring

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. season — of the year
  10. wax — to grow
  11. spring — the season
  12. shower — to wash
  13. spring — of water
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rest — a break
  16. drill — army training
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. shower — rain
  21. rest — what's left
  22. season — in sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. rest — what's left

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