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: nail · clip · cabinet · firm · charge · mug · row · degree

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. clip — for paper
  3. row — to paddle
  4. firm — a company
  5. row — a line
  6. mug — to rob
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. firm — decided
  9. degree — temperature
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. degree — from a university
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. charge — in control
  17. degree — an amount
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. charge — a price
  21. firm — steady
  22. mug — a face
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. charge — electricity

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