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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. spell — letters
  3. squash — the sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. file — a line of people
  6. clip — for paper
  7. spell — magic
  8. file — a document
  9. squash — to crush
  10. suit — in cards
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. clip — a video
  13. file — a tool
  14. rush — hurry
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. suit — clothes
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. spell — a short time
  23. clip — to cut
  24. suit — to fit

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