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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. file — a document
  3. rash — a series
  4. swing — music
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. net — after costs
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rash — hasty
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. net — in sport
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — for catching
  15. file — a line of people
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. file — a tool
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. arm — part of the body

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