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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. field — farmland
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chip — for betting
  9. prune — to trim
  10. field — a subject
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chip — to eat
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. file — a document
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. field — for sport
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. wind — moving air
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. file — a tool
  24. prune — to trim

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