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: object · file · season · tube · arm · firm · cold · nail

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. firm — a company
  4. season — of the year
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. firm — steady
  8. tube — a container
  9. object — to protest
  10. cold — an illness
  11. season — in sport
  12. file — a document
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. object — an aim
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. firm — decided
  19. object — a thing
  20. tube — the underground
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cold — not warm
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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