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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. capital — money
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. last — final
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. cell — in biology
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cell — a phone
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. capital — a city
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. branch — a division
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. stand — to bear
  22. last — finally
  23. last — to go on
  24. ruler — for measuring

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