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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. kid — child
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mark — a trace
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. tear — to rip
  9. kid — to tease
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. tear — from crying
  20. plane — a tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bulb — for light

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