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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. bark — to shout
  4. content — the amount
  5. current — electric
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. file — a tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. perch — the fish
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. chest — of your body
  19. current — of water
  20. content — happy
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. sharp — clever
  24. chest — a box

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