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 · racket · file · arm · bay · land · pop · suit

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. land — ground
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. suit — to fit
  10. file — a line of people
  11. staff — employees
  12. file — a document
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. land — to come down
  16. pop — soda
  17. staff — a stick
  18. land — a country
  19. file — a tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. suit — in cards
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pop — music

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