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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. file — a line of people
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. file — a document
  7. firm — decided
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. file — a tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. present — there
  13. firm — steady
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. cold — an illness
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. firm — a company
  20. present — the time now
  21. field — for sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. present — a gift
  24. cold — not warm

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