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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — a law
  3. file — a line of people
  4. shower — to wash
  5. file — a tool
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wind — moving air
  9. mate — a partner
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. shower — rain
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — electric
  15. spell — magic
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spell — letters
  18. mate — a friend
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. file — a document
  23. rule — government
  24. wind — moving air

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