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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wake — a trail
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. hand — in cards
  5. prune — to trim
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. hand — help
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. date — the fruit
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wound — an injury
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — to trim
  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