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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lean — to bend
  3. tube — a container
  4. suit — clothes
  5. lean — thin
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. spell — magic
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spell — a short time
  12. degree — temperature
  13. degree — from a university
  14. suit — to fit
  15. file — a document
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. file — a tool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. spell — letters
  23. degree — an amount
  24. suit — in cards

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