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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. file — a tool
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kid — to tease
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. file — a document
  12. mark — a trace
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. file — a line of people
  15. deal — to handle
  16. foot — a measure
  17. shower — to wash
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. kid — child
  21. mark — a grade
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. shower — rain

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