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: nail · snap · rule · track · wind · temple · season · ground

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. track — a path
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. ground — a position
  7. wind — moving air
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rule — a law
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rule — government
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — in sport
  24. snap — to click

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