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: club · present · row · mug · bat · lean · nail · can

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lean — thin
  4. mug — a face
  5. present — there
  6. can — a tin
  7. bat — the animal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. club — for golf
  11. present — a gift
  12. club — a group
  13. row — a line
  14. lean — to bend
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. can — a tin
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — to paddle
  20. club — for dancing
  21. mug — a cup
  22. present — the time now
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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