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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. scale — in music
  3. prune — to trim
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. file — a line of people
  6. face — to point toward
  7. scale — size or range
  8. face — part of the head
  9. drill — army training
  10. file — a tool
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. prune — to trim
  14. drill — the tool
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a document
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. face — to confront
  22. wind — moving air
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. chair — a leader

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