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: kick · sharp · spring · shower · plane · nail · drill · mate

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mate — to breed
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. drill — the tool
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. spring — the season
  8. spring — of water
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. drill — a practice
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. mate — a friend
  14. kick — in football
  15. spring — a coil
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. plane — a tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mate — a partner

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