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: leaves · kick · arm · file · wound · swing · net · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. file — a document
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. file — a tool
  7. net — for catching
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — in sport
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. net — after costs
  18. swing — music
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. kick — in football
  22. file — a line of people
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. arm — a part of something

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