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: saw · hide · kick · hand · rash · nail · row · mine

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. hand — help
  4. row — a line
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. kick — in football
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. row — to paddle
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — in cards
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. saw — the tool
  23. rash — a series
  24. mine — for digging

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