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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. spring — a coil
  8. suit — clothes
  9. spring — of water
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. root — of a word
  12. fall — the season
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. root — of a plant
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wound — an injury
  21. root — the cause
  22. spring — the season
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. nail — for a hammer

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