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: band · fine · row · nail · clip · dip · race · key

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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. band — a music group
  2. clip — to cut
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. fine — all right
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. clip — for paper
  7. key — the most important part
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. race — humankind
  10. clip — a video
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. race — a contest
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a ring
  15. key — in music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. race — the arms race
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fine — high quality
  20. key — for a lock
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. dip — to sink
  23. row — a line
  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