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: sharp · drill · hide · nail · chair · pitch · rash · saw

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. drill — army training
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. drill — the tool
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. drill — a practice
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rash — a series
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitch — completely
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rash — hasty
  24. sharp — clever

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