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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. lean — thin
  4. game — wild animals
  5. file — a line of people
  6. content — happy
  7. land — a country
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. land — to come down
  10. lean — to bend
  11. track — to keep track
  12. content — the amount
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. land — ground
  16. track — a path
  17. game — a match
  18. stem — to come from
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. file — a document
  24. track — a song

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