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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fine — high quality
  3. saw — the tool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. key — in music
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. firm — steady
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. firm — a company
  17. press — newspapers
  18. firm — decided
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. press — to push

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