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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. file — a document
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. last — final
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. file — a line of people
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. pound — a weight
  12. file — a tool
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. last — to go on
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. snap — to click
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. last — finally
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. racket — for tennis

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