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: firm · pit · stick · wind · shower · ball · bass · drill

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. firm — decided
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bass — the fish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bass — low music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pit — a hole
  18. shower — rain
  19. drill — a practice
  20. firm — a company
  21. drill — army training
  22. firm — steady
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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