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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. file — a line of people
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. file — a document
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. file — a tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. march — the month
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. march — music
  17. march — the month
  18. mine — for digging
  19. drill — the tool
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. kid — child
  22. ball — a dance
  23. kid — to tease
  24. foot — a measure

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