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 120 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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. sharp — clever
  5. bulb — for light
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. file — a document
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kid — child
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. face — to confront
  18. bark — to shout
  19. chip — to eat
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. kid — to tease
  23. face — to point toward
  24. face — part of the head

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