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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. game — a match
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fall — the season
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. shower — rain
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. shower — to wash
  16. perch — the fish
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bark — to shout

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