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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. file — a line of people
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. root — of a word
  8. bank — for money
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. lie — to recline
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. root — the cause
  13. file — a tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. file — a document
  16. bank — for money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bank — of a river

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