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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. file — a document
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. root — of a word
  5. swing — music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pound — a weight
  11. root — of a plant
  12. rest — what's left
  13. swing — in golf
  14. file — a tool
  15. root — the cause
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. file — a line of people
  18. scale — size or range
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fan — a supporter

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