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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. lie — to recline
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cap — a hat
  10. kid — child
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bark — to shout
  13. suit — to fit
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. file — a document
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pitch — completely
  21. cap — of ice
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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