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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. band — a ring
  3. tear — to rip
  4. bound — obliged
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. saw — the tool
  11. file — a document
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. saw — the tool
  14. band — a music group
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bound — certain
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wake — a trail
  24. tear — from crying

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