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: saw · straw · rash · lie · chip · row · nail · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. chip — for betting
  8. lie — to recline
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. row — to paddle
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chip — to eat
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rash — a series

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