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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. suit — in cards
  3. staff — employees
  4. clip — for paper
  5. file — a document
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. swing — to play on
  8. staff — a stick
  9. swing — in golf
  10. staff — employees
  11. clip — a video
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. suit — clothes
  15. file — a line of people
  16. root — the cause
  17. spell — a short time
  18. file — a tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. suit — to fit
  21. clip — to cut
  22. spell — magic
  23. swing — music
  24. spell — letters

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