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: fork · tear · bank · mine · pass · rush · chest · nail

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. chest — a box
  3. tear — from crying
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. tear — from crying
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. tear — to rip
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fork — in a road
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pass — to spend time
  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