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: saw · fan · can · band · net · snap · drill · bat

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. band — a music group
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — the animal
  5. net — for catching
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. saw — the tool
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. band — a ring
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. saw — the tool
  19. snap — to click
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. drill — army training
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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