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 · hand · arm · saw · can · pitcher · row · roll

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. can — a tin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. file — a line of people
  5. row — to paddle
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. hand — help
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — the tool
  14. file — a tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. row — a line
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. hand — in cards
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. roll — a list
  23. file — a document
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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