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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fork — in a road
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. pitch — completely
  24. fork — to eat with

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