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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. scale — in music
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rock — music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. net — in sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. net — for catching
  14. wind — moving air
  15. craft — boats
  16. fall — the season
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. scale — size or range
  20. craft — a skill
  21. net — after costs
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. fall — to drop

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