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: pop · pass · tube · saw · file · cold · arm · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. file — a line of people
  3. tube — the underground
  4. file — a document
  5. cold — an illness
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. cold — not warm
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pop — music
  19. pass — a permit
  20. tube — a container
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pop — soda
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. file — a tool

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