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: snap · firm · arm · rash · court · season · file · track

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. court — of law
  3. court — of a king
  4. file — a line of people
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. file — a document
  7. snap — to click
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. season — of the year
  10. track — to keep track
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. firm — decided
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. firm — steady
  17. track — a song
  18. firm — a company
  19. court — for sport
  20. file — a tool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. season — in sport
  23. rash — a series
  24. track — a path

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