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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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. capital — money
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rush — hurry
  17. branch — a division
  18. pit — in a race
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. capital — a city
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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