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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. file — a tool
  5. pop — to visit
  6. firm — a company
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. root — of a plant
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. foot — a measure
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. pop — music
  15. ball — a great time
  16. club — a group
  17. file — a line of people
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. root — of a word
  21. pop — soda
  22. ball — a dance
  23. root — the cause
  24. file — a document

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