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 124 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. file — a document
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. saw — the tool
  7. file — a tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lean — thin
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. march — music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. march — the month
  19. file — a line of people
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. march — the month

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