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: chest · file · roll · cue · wave · cell · saw · fine

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. roll — a list
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. file — a tool
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. cue — a hint
  11. saw — the tool
  12. chest — a box
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. cue — a signal
  15. file — a document
  16. cell — in biology
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — all right
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cell — a phone
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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