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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. chip — to eat
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. last — finally
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. last — final
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mine — for digging
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. last — to go on

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