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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. object — to protest
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fall — the season
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. fall — to drop
  7. root — of a plant
  8. hand — in cards
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pitch — completely
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. object — an aim
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. root — of a word
  16. tube — a container
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. object — a thing
  20. tube — the underground
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. shower — rain

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