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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. lean — thin
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. file — a document
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bulb — for light
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bound — tied together
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. file — a tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mug — to rob
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. lean — to bend

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