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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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 tool
  3. season — in sport
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. suit — clothes
  6. prune — to trim
  7. chest — a box
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. drill — army training
  10. kick — in football
  11. suit — in cards
  12. content — happy
  13. chest — of your body
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. season — of the year
  19. chest — of your body
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. prune — to trim
  22. file — a document
  23. suit — to fit
  24. content — the amount

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