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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. file — a tool
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cold — an illness
  8. cue — for pool
  9. spell — magic
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. roll — a list
  13. rush — hurry
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. spell — letters
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. deal — to handle
  21. cue — a hint
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. roll — a cake
  24. file — a line of people

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