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: rash · file · race · nail · row · club · mark · wound

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. row — a line
  6. rash — hasty
  7. wound — an injury
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — to paddle
  11. file — a tool
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wound — an injury
  17. file — a line of people
  18. race — humankind
  19. mark — a trace
  20. file — a document
  21. club — for dancing
  22. race — a contest
  23. rash — a series
  24. race — the arms race

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