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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rush — hurry
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. net — after costs
  5. cap — a hat
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. file — a document
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. net — for catching
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. net — in sport
  14. squash — the sport
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. saw — the tool
  18. file — a line of people
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. file — a tool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. saw — the tool

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