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: rest · wake · pit · tear · net · row · foot · file

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. tear — from crying
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rest — what's left
  5. tear — from crying
  6. net — for catching
  7. file — a document
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. row — a line
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. file — a tool
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. net — after costs
  15. tear — to rip
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. foot — a measure
  19. row — to paddle
  20. rest — what's left
  21. net — in sport
  22. wake — a trail
  23. rest — a break
  24. file — a line of people

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