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: capital · current · saw · court · cold · deal · lie · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. court — for sport
  5. capital — a city
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. court — of a king
  8. current — happening now
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. court — of law
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. cold — not warm
  16. capital — money
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — of water
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. current — electric
  23. cold — an illness
  24. deal — an agreement

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