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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — to drill
  3. firm — steady
  4. cell — a phone
  5. scale — in music
  6. charge — electricity
  7. scale — size or range
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. file — a line of people
  10. bore — to tire
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. file — a document
  13. firm — decided
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. charge — a price
  18. charge — in control
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. cell — in biology
  22. firm — a company
  23. file — a tool
  24. bore — gave birth

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