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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ground — a position
  3. file — a document
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. can — a tin
  6. wound — an injury
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. ground — the earth
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wound — an injury
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wake — a trail
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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