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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hand — help
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. suit — in cards
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — clothes
  7. race — a contest
  8. game — a match
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rock — music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. hand — in cards
  14. saw — the tool
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. suit — to fit
  17. game — wild animals
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. race — the arms race
  22. scale — in music
  23. race — humankind
  24. rock — a stone

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