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: fan · dip · foot · face · nail · suit · mine · fall

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. face — to confront
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. fall — the season
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fall — to drop
  18. suit — in cards
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mine — for digging
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. foot — a measure
  23. face — to point toward
  24. dip — to sink

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