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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. race — the arms race
  3. craft — boats
  4. race — humankind
  5. file — a line of people
  6. row — a line
  7. rash — a series
  8. tube — a container
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. craft — a skill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. race — a contest
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. tube — the underground
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rash — hasty
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. file — a document
  24. content — videos and posts

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