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: jam · mine · fan · wake · squash · race · pitch · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. race — humankind
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. squash — the sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. race — a contest
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. pitch — completely
  21. race — the arms race
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fan — to cool the air

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