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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. game — wild animals
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. shower — to wash
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — to tire
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. fork — in a road
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — rain
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. bore — to drill
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. nail — on a finger

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