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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. plane — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rash — hasty
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cue — a signal
  14. file — a line of people
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. track — a song
  18. bulb — for light
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bulb — for light
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. file — a tool
  24. cue — for pool

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