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: hide · drill · march · fan · stock · cap · band · bowl

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. drill — army training
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cap — of ice
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. stock — shares
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. band — a ring
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. march — music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. cap — a hat
  24. stock — goods

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