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 116 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: ground · clip · fine · net · nail · present · straw · bound

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bound — tied together
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. clip — for paper
  5. net — after costs
  6. fine — high quality
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. net — for catching
  11. clip — a video
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. bound — obliged
  15. present — there
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. ground — the earth
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. net — in sport
  20. bound — certain
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — all right
  24. nail — on a finger

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