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: toast · nail · spell · bass · trunk · drill · craft · wind

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bass — the fish
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. spell — letters
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. bass — low music
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. wind — moving air
  13. drill — army training
  14. toast — bread
  15. craft — boats
  16. drill — a practice
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. spell — magic
  19. craft — a skill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. spell — a short time
  24. trunk — of a tree

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