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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. row — to paddle
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. tube — a container
  18. squash — to crush
  19. row — a line
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. sharp — clever
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. squash — the sport

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