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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bat · mine · scale · nail · content · current · last · fan

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. last — finally
  8. scale — in music
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. content — the amount
  11. current — happening now
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mine — for digging
  14. last — to go on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — final
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bat — the animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. current — of water
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. content — happy
  24. current — electric

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