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: file · wave · pit · plane · nail · racket · hand · sharp

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. file — a tool
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. pit — in a race
  9. file — a document
  10. hand — help
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. file — a line of people
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. sharp — clever
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. plane — a tool
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. racket — a loud noise

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