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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. court — for sport
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. snap — to click
  6. court — of law
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. suit — clothes
  15. rest — a break
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. court — of a king
  18. wind — moving air
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. suit — in cards
  21. cell — in biology
  22. wind — moving air
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mine — for digging

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