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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a document
  3. spell — a short time
  4. swing — in golf
  5. spell — letters
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. swing — music
  9. cold — not warm
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. swing — to play on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. file — a line of people
  16. plane — a tool
  17. spell — magic
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cold — an illness
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. cold — the Cold War

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