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: sharp · nail · row · chest · bulb · rock · shower · coach

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chest — of your body
  5. row — a line
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. chest — a box
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rock — music
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — to paddle
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rock — a stone

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