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: cell · pitcher · nail · foot · lie · spring · staff · racket

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. staff — employees
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. spring — a coil
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. staff — employees
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. lie — to recline
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cell — in biology
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spring — of water
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. spring — the season
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cell — a phone

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