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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. capital — money
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mine — for digging
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. current — electric
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. current — happening now
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. current — of water
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. drill — army training
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. band — a ring
  20. capital — a city
  21. stem — to come from
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a music group

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