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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. file — a line of people
  3. present — there
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rest — a break
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fine — high quality
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. can — a tin
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. fine — all right
  16. present — the time now
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. can — a tin
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pound — a weight
  21. snap — to click
  22. file — a document
  23. spell — a short time
  24. file — a tool

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