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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. file — a tool
  3. snap — to click
  4. file — a document
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. file — a line of people
  15. kid — child
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. kid — to tease

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