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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. scale — size or range
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. toast — bread
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cue — a hint
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rock — music
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. scale — in music
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rock — a stone
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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