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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. hand — help
  3. tube — the underground
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. tube — a container
  7. saw — the tool
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rock — music
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hand — in cards
  14. file — a document
  15. land — a country
  16. file — a tool
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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