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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — the season
  4. club — for golf
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. file — a document
  10. spring — of water
  11. perch — the fish
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — from a university
  15. swing — in golf
  16. degree — temperature
  17. club — for dancing
  18. file — a line of people
  19. club — a group
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lie — to recline
  23. spring — a coil
  24. perch — for a bird

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