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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. drill — the tool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pit — in a race
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. drill — a practice
  9. row — a line
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. fine — all right
  15. capital — a city
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. drill — army training
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pit — a hole
  23. fine — high quality
  24. capital — money

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