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 116 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: can · land · board · nail · lash · swing · wound · march

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. can — a tin
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. land — to come down
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. march — the month
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wound — an injury
  11. swing — music
  12. march — the month
  13. can — a tin
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. march — music
  16. wound — an injury
  17. board — a committee
  18. land — ground
  19. swing — in golf
  20. land — a country
  21. swing — to play on
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — an eyelash

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