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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. file — a tool
  4. game — a match
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. current — happening now
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. file — a line of people
  12. game — wild animals
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. clip — for paper
  15. scale — in music
  16. current — of water
  17. file — a document
  18. scale — size or range
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. current — electric
  21. clip — to cut
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. clip — a video

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