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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. chip — for betting
  13. file — a tool
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. ground — crushed
  16. scale — in music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. chest — of your body
  19. file — a document
  20. ground — a position
  21. chest — a box
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. chip — to eat

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