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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. current — happening now
  7. fork — in a road
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ground — crushed
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. lean — thin
  16. current — electric
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. ground — a position
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. current — of water
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lean — to bend

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