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: firm · file · pitcher · current · clip · wave · row · rest

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rest — what's left
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rest — a break
  7. file — a tool
  8. clip — to cut
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. current — happening now
  11. clip — a video
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. firm — decided
  14. rest — what's left
  15. firm — a company
  16. file — a document
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. firm — steady
  20. current — electric
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. current — of water
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a line

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