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: key · clip · nail · capital · lean · kick · hand · bank

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. bank — for money
  7. lean — to bend
  8. kick — in football
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. key — in music
  12. hand — in cards
  13. clip — for paper
  14. clip — to cut
  15. key — for a lock
  16. clip — a video
  17. bank — for money
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. hand — help
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. lean — thin
  23. key — the most important part
  24. hand — part of the body

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