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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. tear — to rip
  3. can — a tin
  4. swing — in golf
  5. tear — from crying
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. file — a line of people
  14. file — a tool
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. spring — the season
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. stand — to bear
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — to be able to

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