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: spring · key · charge · chair · jam · nail · file · march

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. march — the month
  6. file — a line of people
  7. chair — a leader
  8. march — music
  9. charge — a price
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. charge — electricity
  12. march — the month
  13. spring — a coil
  14. file — a document
  15. charge — in control
  16. file — a tool
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — the season
  24. key — in music

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