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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. file — a document
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. file — a tool
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. row — to paddle
  9. lean — thin
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — the season
  14. tube — a container
  15. row — a line
  16. tube — the underground
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. snap — to click
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. bank — of a river
  24. file — a line of people

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