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

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. file — a line of people
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. tube — a container
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mine — for digging
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. file — a tool
  16. race — the arms race
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. race — humankind
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. race — a contest
  22. mate — to breed
  23. file — a document
  24. leaves — to go away

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