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: straw · firm · chip · rash · hand · capital · nail · calf

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. firm — a company
  4. hand — help
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. rash — hasty
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. capital — a city
  17. firm — steady
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. chip — to eat
  22. capital — money
  23. hand — in cards
  24. chip — for betting

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