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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. row — to paddle
  3. plane — a tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. mate — to breed
  9. key — for a lock
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. key — in music
  14. mate — a partner
  15. row — a line
  16. chest — of your body
  17. key — the most important part
  18. capital — a city
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. capital — money
  21. chest — of your body
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mate — a friend

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