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: rush · roll · cell · sharp · arm · file · suit · pound

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pound — a weight
  4. suit — in cards
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. cell — in biology
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. sharp — clever
  14. cell — a phone
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. file — a tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. roll — a list
  21. file — a document
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. file — a line of people
  24. roll — a cake

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