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 120 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: saw · kid · hide · nail · cell · chip · row · key

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. saw — the tool
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. chip — to eat
  12. key — for a lock
  13. row — a line
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. chip — for betting
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. cell — a phone
  19. kid — child
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. row — to paddle
  23. kid — to tease
  24. hide — to keep secret

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