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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mate — to breed
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. file — a tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. band — a ring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — an injury
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. chest — of your body
  15. band — a music group
  16. file — a document
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mate — a friend

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