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: spell · nail · sharp · last · mouse · jam · court · file

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. file — a line of people
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. last — final
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. spell — magic
  8. last — to go on
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. file — a document
  11. spell — letters
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. sharp — clever
  17. spell — a short time
  18. court — of a king
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. court — of law
  22. file — a tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. last — finally

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