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: wave · bank · rash · row · chest · tube · bass · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. tube — a container
  4. rash — a series
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bank — for money
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — the underground
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bank — for money
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. file — a tool
  22. bass — low music
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chest — of your body

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