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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spring — of water
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. shower — rain
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fine — high quality
  11. hand — help
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hand — in cards
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — for money
  19. spring — the season
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. bank — of a river
  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