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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. drill — army training
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. charge — a price
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. charge — electricity
  13. drill — a practice
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. drill — the tool
  16. branch — a division
  17. charge — in control
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chair — a leader
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — in a race

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