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 124 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 play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bark — to shout
  5. drill — army training
  6. bass — low music
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. object — a thing
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bass — the fish
  14. object — an aim
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. object — to protest
  22. drill — a practice
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — a short time

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