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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ball — a great time
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. file — a tool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. firm — decided
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. firm — steady
  15. ball — a dance
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cold — not warm

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