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: bass · game · spell · toast · wound · wind · ground · nail

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. spell — magic
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ground — the earth
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — letters
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — low music
  11. game — wild animals
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wound — an injury
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bass — the fish
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ground — a position
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ground — crushed
  21. toast — bread
  22. game — a match
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. nail — for a hammer

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