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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. chest — of your body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. object — to protest
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. chest — a box
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. chest — of your body
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. file — a document
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. file — a line of people

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