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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. file — a tool
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. file — a line of people
  5. track — a path
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fall — to drop
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bark — to shout
  15. track — a song
  16. shower — rain
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. fall — to drop
  21. snap — to click
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fall — the season
  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