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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spell — magic
  4. season — of the year
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. spell — a short time
  7. row — to paddle
  8. spell — letters
  9. file — a tool
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. row — a line
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. root — of a word
  16. file — a document
  17. rock — music
  18. season — in sport
  19. root — the cause
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. root — of a plant
  22. object — to protest
  23. rock — a stone
  24. season — to add flavour

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