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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. track — a song
  8. chair — a leader
  9. file — a line of people
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. track — a path
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — from crying
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. tear — to rip
  17. suit — clothes
  18. file — a tool
  19. track — to keep track
  20. file — a document
  21. suit — in cards
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. suit — to fit
  24. nail — on a finger

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