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: staff · saw · clip · board · fan · nail · bank · drill

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bank — of a river
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — army training
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. board — a committee
  16. clip — to cut
  17. saw — the tool
  18. clip — a video
  19. staff — employees
  20. drill — the tool
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. staff — employees
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fan — a supporter

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