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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spell — letters
  3. bear — the animal
  4. shower — rain
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ball — a dance
  7. present — there
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. spell — magic
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. ball — a great time
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — hasty
  22. present — a gift
  23. spell — a short time
  24. present — the time now

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