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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. press — newspapers
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. face — to confront
  11. press — a publisher
  12. face — part of the head
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. press — to push
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. file — a tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. face — to point toward

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