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 120 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: snap · land · last · file · staff · hand · mouse · ruler

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. file — a document
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. land — to come down
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. hand — help
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. land — a country
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. land — ground
  18. staff — employees
  19. snap — to click
  20. file — a tool
  21. hand — in cards
  22. last — final
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ruler — for measuring

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