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: bay · game · sharp · row · nail · file · last · scale

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. last — finally
  5. file — a document
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. scale — in music
  9. file — a tool
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. row — a line
  12. sharp — clever
  13. game — a match
  14. last — to go on
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. row — to paddle
  18. last — final
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. scale — size or range
  23. file — a line of people
  24. scale — for weighing

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