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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. file — a line of people
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. content — happy
  8. cap — of ice
  9. tear — to rip
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. content — the amount
  17. tear — from crying
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. file — a tool
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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