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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cap — of ice
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. file — a line of people
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. lean — thin
  12. race — a contest
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. race — humankind
  21. file — a document
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cap — a hat

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