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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. file — a document
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fall — the season
  7. rock — music
  8. rush — hurry
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — for sport
  12. file — a tool
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. file — a line of people
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. field — farmland
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fall — to drop
  19. pound — a weight
  20. rock — a stone
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fall — to drop

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