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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. race — a contest
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. race — the arms race
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wind — moving air
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. prune — to trim
  15. race — humankind
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. charge — in control
  18. wind — moving air
  19. cell — in biology
  20. charge — a price
  21. foot — a measure
  22. charge — electricity
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. cell — a phone

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