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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spell — a short time
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. tear — from crying
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. file — a document
  20. spell — letters
  21. current — electric
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a line of people
  24. tear — to rip

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