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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. swing — music
  4. root — of a word
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fork — in a road
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. row — to paddle
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. net — after costs
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. net — in sport
  19. row — a line
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. net — for catching

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