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: fork · arm · prune · temple · drill · swing · snap · file

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. swing — music
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. swing — to play on
  9. snap — to click
  10. file — a line of people
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. swing — in golf
  13. file — a document
  14. prune — to trim
  15. file — a tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. drill — the tool
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. drill — a practice
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. drill — army training
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. prune — to trim
  24. fork — in a road

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