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's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. object — to protest
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — an aim
  6. march — the month
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. date — the fruit
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. shower — rain
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. march — music
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. march — the month
  24. fan — a supporter

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