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: snap · kick · tear · wake · kid · nail · row · drill

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. kid — to tease
  5. kick — in football
  6. drill — the tool
  7. row — a line
  8. row — to paddle
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. kid — child
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. drill — army training
  23. snap — to click
  24. kick — with a leg

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