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 116 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: sharp · hand · deal · staff · clip · present · file · track

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. present — the time now
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. track — to keep track
  6. clip — for paper
  7. file — a document
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. file — a tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. track — a path
  12. deal — to handle
  13. file — a line of people
  14. staff — a stick
  15. sharp — clever
  16. staff — employees
  17. clip — to cut
  18. present — a gift
  19. clip — a video
  20. present — there
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. track — a song
  24. hand — help

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