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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. spring — a coil
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. face — to confront
  5. chip — to eat
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. spring — of water
  8. chip — for betting
  9. kid — to tease
  10. root — the cause
  11. face — part of the head
  12. hand — in cards
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to point toward
  17. kid — child
  18. hand — help
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — of a plant
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. spring — the season
  24. hand — part of the body

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