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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. charge — electricity
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rash — a series
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. file — a document
  10. bass — low music
  11. charge — a price
  12. file — a line of people
  13. wind — moving air
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bass — the fish
  17. spring — the season
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. charge — in control
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. spring — of water
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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