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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. race — the arms race
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cue — a signal
  9. capital — a city
  10. degree — an amount
  11. cue — a hint
  12. track — to keep track
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cue — for pool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bat — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. race — humankind
  20. capital — money
  21. track — a song
  22. race — a contest
  23. degree — temperature
  24. track — a path

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