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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. branch — a division
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — certain
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. shower — rain
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. snap — to click
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bound — obliged
  24. straw — a straw man

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