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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. game — wild animals
  4. rock — music
  5. game — a match
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. land — to come down
  8. file — a document
  9. rock — a stone
  10. tear — from crying
  11. suit — to fit
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. suit — clothes
  18. land — ground
  19. tear — to rip
  20. suit — in cards
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. land — a country

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