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: kick · nail · rush · net · cell · tear · scale · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. kick — in football
  5. net — in sport
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. scale — size or range
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. net — for catching
  14. rush — hurry
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cell — a phone
  20. net — after costs
  21. scale — in music
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. saw — the tool
  24. tear — from crying

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