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: last · pitcher · hide · tear · key · wind · bat · nail

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. key — for a lock
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. last — finally
  9. tear — from crying
  10. last — to go on
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. last — final
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bat — the animal
  19. key — in music
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. nail — for a hammer

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