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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. file — a document
  4. saw — the tool
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. track — a song
  11. cell — in biology
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. track — a path
  16. track — to keep track
  17. bound — certain
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rush — hurry
  24. saw — the tool

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