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 · chest · tube · clip · wave · lash · prune · fork

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. tube — a container
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. chest — of your body
  14. tube — the underground
  15. clip — for paper
  16. prune — to trim
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. clip — a video
  22. fork — in a road
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — with your hand

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