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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mug — a face
  4. file — a document
  5. mug — a cup
  6. file — a line of people
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. squash — the sport
  11. staff — a stick
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mug — to rob
  14. squash — to crush
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. file — a tool
  20. staff — employees
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. staff — employees
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bat — the animal

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