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: kid · chair · root · stand · drill · temple · nail · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. root — the cause
  4. drill — army training
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kid — to tease
  7. root — of a word
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. chair — a leader
  11. drill — the tool
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. root — of a plant
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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