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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. season — in sport
  3. file — a tool
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. file — a document
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bat — the animal
  13. season — of the year
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cell — in biology
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. dip — to sink
  21. pound — a weight
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. dip — a sauce

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