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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: chair · dip · firm · mate · race · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. race — humankind
  3. dip — to sink
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mate — to breed
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. file — a document
  13. mate — a friend
  14. race — a contest
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. firm — steady
  17. file — a line of people
  18. chair — a leader

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