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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. track — a path
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. shower — rain
  5. firm — steady
  6. hand — help
  7. firm — decided
  8. deal — to handle
  9. spell — a short time
  10. firm — a company
  11. shower — to wash
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. spell — letters
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. track — a song
  16. spell — magic
  17. root — of a plant
  18. hand — in cards
  19. file — a tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. track — to keep track
  23. file — a line of people
  24. root — of a word

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