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: stick · board · file · deal · hand · capital · mine · foot

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. file — a line of people
  3. foot — a measure
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. deal — to handle
  7. file — a document
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. capital — a city
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. hand — in cards
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. board — to get on
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. file — a tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hand — help
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mine — an explosive

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