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 120 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: nail · kick · bat · fall · can · saw · wind · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. kick — in football
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fall — the season
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bat — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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