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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bat — the animal
  7. staff — employees
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. capital — money
  12. fork — in a road
  13. capital — a city
  14. staff — employees
  15. march — music
  16. swing — music
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. march — the month
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. march — the month

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