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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. craft — boats
  5. current — electric
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. rest — what's left
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rest — a break
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. row — a line
  12. file — a tool
  13. kid — to tease
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rest — what's left
  16. roll — a list
  17. current — of water
  18. kid — child
  19. current — happening now
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. craft — a skill
  24. row — to paddle

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