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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rash — hasty
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. firm — steady
  7. cold — an illness
  8. firm — a company
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. rash — a series
  11. cold — not warm
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. firm — decided
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bank — for money
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. rush — hurry
  22. land — ground
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — in football

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