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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bass — the fish
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fall — to drop
  8. spell — magic
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bass — low music
  13. spell — letters
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. fall — the season
  16. deal — to handle
  17. race — a contest
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. race — humankind
  20. fall — to drop
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. race — the arms race
  23. spell — a short time
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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