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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. staff — employees
  3. court — of law
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. court — of a king
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. season — of the year
  10. drill — army training
  11. season — in sport
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. staff — a stick
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. court — for sport
  20. prune — to trim
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. staff — employees
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. season — to add flavour

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