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 124 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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. drill — army training
  6. capital — money
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. capital — a city
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. drill — a practice
  19. wax — to grow
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. stem — to come from

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