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: drill · straw · foot · race · jam · tear · nail · racket

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. tear — to rip
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. tear — from crying
  5. race — the arms race
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. drill — the tool
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — a contest
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. tear — from crying
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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