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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. file — a document
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rash — a series
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. cue — a hint
  12. file — a tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. spell — a short time
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wound — an injury
  17. spell — letters
  18. shower — rain
  19. cue — for pool
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. spell — magic
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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