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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: roll · deal · spring · shower · leaves · bass · nail · race

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. shower — rain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bass — low music
  11. race — humankind
  12. roll — a cake
  13. spring — the season
  14. bass — the fish
  15. race — a contest
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. spring — a coil
  20. deal — to handle
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. roll — a list
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. spring — of water

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