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: pop · last · bass · drill · fall · suit · wound · nail

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. fall — to drop
  3. last — finally
  4. drill — army training
  5. pop — to visit
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. pop — soda
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bass — low music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bass — the fish
  14. pop — music
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. suit — in cards
  19. drill — the tool
  20. last — to go on
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. suit — to fit
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. last — final

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