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: rest · fine · race · mark · nail · pound · chair · land

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rest — a break
  4. pound — a weight
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fine — high quality
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chair — a leader
  10. land — ground
  11. mark — a trace
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. land — to come down
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. fine — all right
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — the arms race
  20. mark — a grade
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. rest — what's left
  23. land — a country
  24. race — a contest

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