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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. branch — a division
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. file — a tool
  6. lean — thin
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. saw — the tool
  16. file — a document
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pitch — completely
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mark — a trace

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