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: shower · squash · rock · bear · saw · fine · racket · nail

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fine — all right
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. squash — to crush
  7. rock — music
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. shower — rain
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. squash — the sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bear — the animal
  17. shower — to wash
  18. rock — a stone
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fine — high quality
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. saw — the tool

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