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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. file — a document
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cue — a hint
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. file — a tool
  16. wake — a trail
  17. prune — to trim
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. cue — for pool
  22. prune — to trim
  23. rash — a series
  24. mine — belonging to me

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