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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a tool
  3. wind — moving air
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. key — in music
  6. key — the most important part
  7. net — in sport
  8. snap — to click
  9. shower — rain
  10. wind — moving air
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. key — for a lock
  15. file — a line of people
  16. net — after costs
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — a division
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. shower — to wash
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. net — for catching

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