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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cold — an illness
  3. object — a thing
  4. tear — to rip
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. file — a document
  8. bound — obliged
  9. can — to be able to
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. can — a tin
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bound — tied together
  16. object — an aim
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — thin
  19. bound — certain
  20. tear — from crying
  21. object — to protest
  22. file — a tool
  23. cold — not warm
  24. tear — from crying

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