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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. saw — the tool
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. game — wild animals
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. file — a line of people
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. rock — a stone
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. game — a match
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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