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 116 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: game · pitcher · spring · nail · cold · fine · lash · suit

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. suit — clothes
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. cold — not warm
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. fine — all right
  17. game — a match
  18. cold — an illness
  19. suit — to fit
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fine — high quality
  24. spring — a coil

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