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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. hand — help
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. row — to paddle
  8. mine — for digging
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. fork — in a road
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. spell — a short time
  13. row — a line
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. charge — electricity
  16. charge — a price
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. spell — letters
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. charge — in control
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. spell — magic

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