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: file · foot · clip · tear · key · swing · plane · rock

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. file — a tool
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. rock — music
  5. clip — to cut
  6. tear — to rip
  7. clip — for paper
  8. key — for a lock
  9. swing — in golf
  10. clip — a video
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rock — a stone
  14. plane — a tool
  15. key — in music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. tear — from crying
  18. file — a line of people
  19. key — the most important part
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — music
  22. file — a document
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rock — to move gently

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