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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stem — to come from
  5. band — a music group
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. band — a ring
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. foot — a measure
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. file — a document
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bat — the animal
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bat — in an idiom

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