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: date · firm · shower · roll · bowl · file · arm · content

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. shower — to wash
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. firm — steady
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. content — the amount
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. firm — decided
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. shower — rain
  17. roll — a cake
  18. firm — a company
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. content — happy
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. bowl — a football final

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