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 124 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. last — finally
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. last — final
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bore — to drill
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. field — farmland
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. file — a tool
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. last — to go on
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — for sport
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wind — moving air
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. wind — moving air

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