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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. cell — a phone
  3. file — a document
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. file — a tool
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bulb — for light
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. branch — a division
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rash — hasty
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rash — a series

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