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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. track — a song
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bat — the animal
  5. track — a path
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fall — to drop
  12. file — a line of people
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. fall — the season
  17. file — a document
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. track — to keep track

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