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: date · pop · nail · roll · fan · rash · mug · file

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pop — soda
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rash — hasty
  6. date — the fruit
  7. roll — a cake
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. file — a document
  12. mug — a cup
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mug — to rob
  16. roll — a list
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mug — a face
  21. pop — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rash — a series
  24. nail — for a hammer

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