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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. row — a line
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bass — the fish
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bore — to tire
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bore — to drill
  14. current — electric
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. current — of water
  19. row — to paddle
  20. plane — a tool
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. shower — rain
  23. bass — low music
  24. current — happening now

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