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 116 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 · net · cell · spell · content · staff · mouse

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. content — the amount
  3. spell — magic
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. staff — employees
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. file — a document
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. staff — a stick
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. net — after costs
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. staff — employees
  20. spell — letters
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. net — for catching
  24. content — happy

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