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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cell — in biology
  4. lean — to bend
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. scale — size or range
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. scale — in music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. squash — to crush
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lean — thin
  19. cell — a phone
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. present — the time now
  22. stem — to come from
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — there

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