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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. spell — a short time
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. file — a document
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spell — letters
  8. file — a tool
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. degree — an amount
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mine — for digging
  19. spell — magic
  20. mark — a trace
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. mark — a grade
  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