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: bark · pitch · hand · safe · spring · shower · drill · kid

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. spring — the season
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. drill — army training
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. spring — a coil
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. spring — of water
  12. drill — the tool
  13. kid — child
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pitch — completely
  17. hand — help
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kid — to tease
  24. safe — a strongbox

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