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: wake · file · pound · mark · mouse · sharp · bound · swing

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. mark — a trace
  5. file — a tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pound — a weight
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. wake — a trail
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. swing — to play on
  20. bound — certain
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. swing — music
  23. file — a document
  24. wake — before a funeral

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