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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. row — a line
  3. march — the month
  4. land — ground
  5. can — to be able to
  6. march — music
  7. land — to come down
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. can — a tin
  10. land — a country
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. file — a tool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. file — a line of people
  17. march — the month
  18. file — a document
  19. can — a tin
  20. firm — steady
  21. row — to paddle
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. firm — a company
  24. firm — decided

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