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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. suit — to fit
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chip — for betting
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stem — to come from
  9. track — a path
  10. file — a document
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. branch — a division
  13. suit — clothes
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. track — a song
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rush — hurry
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. file — a tool
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. suit — in cards
  22. track — to keep track
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. stem — of a plant

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