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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. file — a tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cell — a phone
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cell — in biology
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wind — moving air
  22. face — part of the head
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. bulb — for light

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