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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. clip — for paper
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. ground — a position
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stem — to come from
  10. saw — the tool
  11. clip — a video
  12. saw — the tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. row — a line
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. clip — to cut
  24. ground — the earth

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