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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. file — a document
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. file — a line of people
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. date — the fruit
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. game — a match
  11. file — a tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bass — low music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. game — a kind of play

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