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: mine · last · rush · saw · ground · band · nail · lash

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. saw — the tool
  5. last — final
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ground — a position
  8. rush — hurry
  9. band — a music group
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. last — to go on
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. last — finally
  17. ground — the earth
  18. band — a ring
  19. ground — crushed
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. saw — the tool

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