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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. club — a group
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. club — for golf
  9. lean — thin
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. club — for dancing
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. vault — a safe
  18. dip — to sink
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. row — a line
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fork — in a road
  23. saw — the tool
  24. row — to paddle

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