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: race · wave · row · file · foot · bark · cap · deal

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. file — a line of people
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cap — a hat
  9. race — a contest
  10. deal — to handle
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. race — humankind
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. file — a tool
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. foot — a measure
  20. cap — of ice
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. file — a document
  24. deal — an agreement

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