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

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. file — a tool
  4. file — a document
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. kick — in football
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. spring — the season
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. foot — a measure
  15. spring — a coil
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. file — a line of people
  18. snap — to click

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