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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — a stone
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fall — the season
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. file — a document
  9. tear — from crying
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. field — farmland
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — for sport
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rock — music
  18. file — a tool
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — to drop
  24. field — a subject

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