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: straw · fork · nail · wind · plane · leaves · mouse · tear

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. tear — to rip
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. wind — moving air
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fork — in a road
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wind — moving air
  20. tear — from crying
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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