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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mug — to rob
  5. file — a line of people
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mug — a face
  10. file — a document
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mug — a cup
  22. lean — thin
  23. file — a tool
  24. rush — a thrill

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