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 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. capital — money
  4. capital — a city
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. hand — help
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. scale — size or range
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. scale — in music
  17. chair — a leader
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. cue — for pool
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cue — a hint
  24. trunk — of a car

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