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: chest · nail · wake · band · lean · row · key · stand

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chest — a box
  7. row — to paddle
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. band — a ring
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stand — to bear
  15. lean — to bend
  16. key — for a lock
  17. row — a line
  18. key — the most important part
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. lean — thin
  21. key — in music
  22. chest — of your body
  23. chest — of your body
  24. band — a rubber band

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