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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bore — to tire
  5. file — a document
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wind — moving air
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. row — to paddle
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — a series
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. file — a line of people
  22. row — a line
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. rash — hasty

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