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: scale · arm · hand · wound · cap · bark · file · bay

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cap — a lid
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. wound — an injury
  7. cap — a hat
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. bark — to shout
  12. scale — in music
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wound — an injury
  17. hand — help
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. cap — of ice
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. hand — in cards
  24. arm — part of the 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