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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. club — a group
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cold — an illness
  9. wound — an injury
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cold — not warm
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ball — a great time
  16. club — for golf
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ball — a dance

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