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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. spell — a short time
  3. land — to come down
  4. mug — to rob
  5. tear — from crying
  6. degree — temperature
  7. mark — a grade
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. spell — magic
  10. file — a tool
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mug — a cup
  15. degree — an amount
  16. land — ground
  17. mug — a face
  18. degree — from a university
  19. land — a country
  20. tear — from crying
  21. spell — letters
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mark — a trace
  24. file — a document

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