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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bulb — for light
  4. object — a thing
  5. kid — child
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. object — to protest
  8. game — wild animals
  9. object — an aim
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. craft — a skill
  12. file — a tool
  13. craft — boats
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. file — a document
  17. game — a match
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. bulb — for light
  23. kid — to tease
  24. straw — a straw man

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