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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. spring — the season
  10. rest — what's left
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. spring — of water
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rest — what's left
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. drill — army training
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. plane — an aircraft

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