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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. board — to get on
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. file — a line of people
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — a series
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. bat — the animal
  16. board — a committee
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. file — a document
  19. dip — to sink
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. can — a tin
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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