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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. rock — music
  4. capital — a city
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — help
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. net — for catching
  9. board — a committee
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. hand — in cards
  14. rock — a stone
  15. net — in sport
  16. cap — of ice
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. capital — money
  19. net — after costs
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — a lid
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. board — to get on

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