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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. fall — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. lean — thin
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mug — a cup
  14. fall — to drop
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. prune — to trim
  17. mug — a face
  18. file — a document
  19. prune — to trim
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. file — a line of people

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