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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. row — a line
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kid — child
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. kid — to tease
  24. safe — out of danger

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