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 120 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 need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. cell — a phone
  3. row — to paddle
  4. file — a document
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rush — hurry
  7. file — a tool
  8. row — a line
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. chip — for betting
  15. stock — shares
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. chip — to eat
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stock — goods
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cell — in biology

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