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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spring — a coil
  7. file — a document
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. present — there
  11. file — a line of people
  12. bark — to shout
  13. spell — magic
  14. spring — of water
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. spring — the season
  18. present — the time now
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. present — a gift
  24. rush — to hurry

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