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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. degree — from a university
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mug — a cup
  6. snap — to click
  7. degree — an amount
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mug — to rob
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pass — a permit
  12. object — an aim
  13. mug — a face
  14. tear — from crying
  15. degree — temperature
  16. tear — to rip
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. prune — to trim
  20. file — a tool
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. prune — to trim
  24. file — a document

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