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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. net — for catching
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wound — an injury
  10. foot — a measure
  11. lie — to recline
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bear — the animal
  19. net — in sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wound — an injury
  23. perch — the fish
  24. net — after costs

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