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: prune · ground · sharp · current · nail · swing · chest · pass

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. current — of water
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ground — a position
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ground — the earth
  7. current — electric
  8. chest — of your body
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pass — a permit
  16. sharp — clever
  17. swing — music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. current — happening now
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. chest — a box
  24. pass — to succeed

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