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 120 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: stand · wound · nail · rash · bore · capital · mine · plane

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bore — to tire
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. stand — to bear
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. capital — a city
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wound — an injury
  21. plane — a tool
  22. capital — money
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bore — to drill

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