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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. file — a line of people
  4. current — of water
  5. degree — temperature
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rule — a law
  9. file — a tool
  10. fall — the season
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. shower — rain
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. current — happening now
  15. degree — from a university
  16. rush — hurry
  17. file — a document
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. current — electric
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. shower — to wash
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rule — government

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