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: staff · file · cell · pit · saw · last · bound · bulb

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. file — a document
  3. staff — employees
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — certain
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bound — tied together
  19. file — a tool
  20. cell — in biology
  21. staff — a stick
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. staff — employees

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