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: clip · wave · object · fork · nail · staff · cell · file

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. file — a document
  7. cell — in biology
  8. staff — a stick
  9. file — a tool
  10. staff — employees
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. object — an aim
  17. staff — employees
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. object — a thing
  20. clip — a video
  21. object — to protest
  22. fork — in a road
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. cell — in a prison

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