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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. spell — letters
  3. game — a match
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. drill — army training
  11. bulb — for light
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spell — a short time
  17. game — wild animals
  18. kid — to tease
  19. drill — the tool
  20. spell — magic
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. kid — child

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