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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. bank — for money
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. saw — the tool
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bank — of a river
  11. current — of water
  12. bank — for money
  13. game — a match
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. current — electric
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. file — a tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. spell — magic
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. file — a document
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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