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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bulb — for light
  11. drill — army training
  12. bulb — for light
  13. shower — to wash
  14. game — a match
  15. craft — a skill
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. drill — a practice
  20. craft — boats
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. shower — rain
  24. racket — for tennis

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