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: saw · bark · craft · fan · safe · key · nail · mine

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. craft — boats
  7. saw — the tool
  8. mine — for digging
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. key — for a lock
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — a skill
  14. key — the most important part
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. key — in music
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mine — belonging to me

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