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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. file — a document
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rest — a break
  10. bound — obliged
  11. file — a tool
  12. roll — a list
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bound — certain
  23. rest — what's left
  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