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: wound · file · arm · march · ball · wave · rash · mate

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. file — a line of people
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rash — hasty
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. file — a document
  8. march — the month
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rash — a series
  11. mate — to breed
  12. file — a tool
  13. wound — an injury
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. mate — a friend
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. ball — a round shape

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