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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. hand — help
  3. mark — a grade
  4. file — a tool
  5. bear — the animal
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — a song
  8. hand — in cards
  9. track — to keep track
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. track — a path
  16. staff — employees
  17. file — a document
  18. tube — a container
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. file — a line of people
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mark — a trace

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