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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. land — to come down
  3. staff — employees
  4. mine — for digging
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. staff — a stick
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — to protest
  10. object — a thing
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. staff — employees
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. object — an aim
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. land — ground
  23. land — a country
  24. nail — on a finger

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