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 120 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. row — a line
  2. file — a tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. mate — a friend
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. present — there
  7. bank — of a river
  8. file — a line of people
  9. root — of a plant
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. present — the time now
  14. pop — to visit
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pop — soda
  17. present — a gift
  18. bank — for money
  19. root — the cause
  20. file — a document
  21. pop — music
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. root — of a word
  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