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 · ruler · stick · shower · coach · tear · perch · fall

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. perch — the fish
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. tear — from crying
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. shower — to wash
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. fall — to drop
  20. shower — rain
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. perch — for a bird

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