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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. chest — a box
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bank — of a river
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. file — a tool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. file — a document
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. sharp — clever
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bat — the animal
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — boats

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