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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. field — for sport
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. branch — a division
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. field — a subject
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. field — farmland
  15. snap — to click
  16. chip — to eat
  17. scale — size or range
  18. scale — in music
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. capital — money
  22. chip — for betting
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. scale — for weighing

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