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: game · staff · nail · mine · jam · craft · spell · branch

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. craft — a skill
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. craft — boats
  7. staff — a stick
  8. branch — a division
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mine — for digging
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. staff — employees
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. spell — a short time
  22. staff — employees
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. craft — a handicraft

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