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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. file — a line of people
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. key — for a lock
  6. file — a tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fall — the season
  10. court — of law
  11. fall — to drop
  12. file — a document
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. spring — of water
  17. court — of a king
  18. fall — to drop
  19. court — for sport
  20. key — the most important part
  21. spring — the season
  22. saw — the tool
  23. key — in music
  24. racket — for tennis

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