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: land · cap · mug · nail · file · bowl · mine · row

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. cap — a hat
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. land — ground
  5. mug — a face
  6. row — a line
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a line of people
  14. land — a country
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cap — of ice
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mine — for digging
  20. land — to come down
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mug — a cup
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mug — to rob

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