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: temple · rule · club · swing · leaves · hand · march · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. rule — a law
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — for golf
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. march — music
  15. rule — government
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. hand — help
  18. club — a group
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. swing — to play on
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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