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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. file — a line of people
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. track — a path
  14. file — a tool
  15. chip — to eat
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. file — a document
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wax — to grow
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. chip — for betting

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