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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stock — goods
  8. bound — tied together
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. bound — certain
  15. file — a document
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. stock — shares
  18. cap — of ice
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bound — obliged
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. file — a tool

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