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: drill · fan · rule · hide · date · pitch · last · hand

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — in cards
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. rule — a law
  10. pitch — completely
  11. drill — army training
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. last — finally
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rule — government
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. last — to go on

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