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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bound — tied together
  3. pop — music
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. file — a document
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bound — certain
  11. can — a tin
  12. pop — soda
  13. wound — an injury
  14. can — a tin
  15. shower — to wash
  16. file — a line of people
  17. bound — obliged
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pop — to visit
  20. file — a tool
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. shower — rain
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. lash — to lash out

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