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 124 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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. current — happening now
  4. chest — of your body
  5. current — of water
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. spring — of water
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spring — a coil
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. drill — a practice
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spring — the season
  15. drill — army training
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bear — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. current — electric
  23. prune — to trim
  24. chest — a box

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