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: file · charge · toast · last · mark · row · bark · nail

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — in control
  5. bark — to shout
  6. file — a tool
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. file — a document
  12. toast — bread
  13. last — finally
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mark — a grade
  16. row — a line
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. last — to go on
  19. mark — a trace
  20. last — final
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — to paddle

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