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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bound — obliged
  3. clip — to cut
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. file — a document
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bat — the animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. file — a tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fine — all right
  16. clip — a video
  17. mug — a cup
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bound — tied together
  21. mug — a face
  22. file — a line of people
  23. saw — the tool
  24. bound — certain

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