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: drill · snap · chest · cell · last · nail · chip · safe

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. last — final
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. last — to go on
  8. chest — of your body
  9. drill — army training
  10. snap — to click
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. drill — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cell — in biology
  16. chest — of your body
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chest — a box
  21. chip — to eat
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cell — a phone
  24. safe — out of danger

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