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 120 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's very handy with a ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. sharp — clever
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bound — tied together
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fall — the season
  12. fall — to drop
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. root — of a plant
  16. root — the cause
  17. bound — certain
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mark — a grade
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. root — of a word

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