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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. row — to paddle
  8. file — a document
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. dip — to sink
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. file — a tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. file — a line of people
  15. row — a line
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — a grade

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