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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. suit — in cards
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. squash — to crush
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a document
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — an illness
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. file — a line of people
  24. suit — clothes

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