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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. shower — rain
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cell — a phone
  11. race — a contest
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. wind — moving air
  16. branch — a division
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. shower — to wash
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bulb — for light
  21. rush — hurry
  22. race — humankind
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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