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 120 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: fork · arm · foot · clip · chip · pitcher · file · nail

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. file — a tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. foot — a measure
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. clip — a video
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chip — to eat
  18. chip — for betting
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. clip — for paper
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. file — a document
  24. clip — to cut

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