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 120 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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. present — a gift
  3. cue — a signal
  4. file — a tool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. present — the time now
  7. file — a line of people
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. content — the amount
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. content — happy
  15. root — of a word
  16. present — there
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant

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