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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. current — happening now
  4. kick — in football
  5. rock — a stone
  6. file — a tool
  7. current — electric
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. current — of water
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. scale — size or range
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. scale — in music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. file — a document
  19. rock — music
  20. foot — a measure
  21. file — a line of people
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. foot — part of the body

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