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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rash — hasty
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bound — tied together
  5. rash — a series
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — to play on
  8. file — a line of people
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. file — a tool
  12. toast — bread
  13. file — a document
  14. rush — hurry
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. swing — music
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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