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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bark — to shout
  3. chip — to eat
  4. charge — a price
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. drill — a practice
  8. field — for sport
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. drill — the tool
  11. charge — electricity
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. field — farmland
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. charge — in control
  16. file — a line of people
  17. chip — for betting
  18. file — a document
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. drill — army training
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. field — a subject

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