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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. track — a path
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ball — a dance
  8. current — electric
  9. current — happening now
  10. key — in music
  11. current — of water
  12. face — to point toward
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fall — the season
  16. track — a song
  17. ball — a great time
  18. track — to keep track
  19. face — to confront
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. fall — to drop
  23. key — for a lock
  24. key — the most important part

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