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 120 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: arm · chip · sharp · file · tear · squash · can · track

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chip — for betting
  4. tear — to rip
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. file — a document
  7. sharp — clever
  8. track — to keep track
  9. tear — from crying
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. file — a tool
  12. chip — to eat
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. squash — to crush
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. track — a song
  19. squash — the sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. track — a path
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. can — to be able to

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