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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. race — the arms race
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — the fish
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bore — to drill
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bass — low music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to tire
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. race — a contest
  21. shower — rain
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. race — humankind
  24. fan — to cool the air

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