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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. track — a path
  3. file — a document
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. net — in sport
  6. file — a tool
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bound — tied together
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. net — for catching
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. track — to keep track
  16. spring — of water
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. track — a song
  19. foot — a measure
  20. spring — the season
  21. net — after costs
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — certain
  24. foot — the bottom

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