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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. file — a tool
  3. rush — hurry
  4. tube — the underground
  5. file — a document
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. file — a line of people
  8. chest — a box
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. chest — of your body
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. track — to keep track
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chest — of your body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. track — a song
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. track — a path
  22. deal — to handle
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tube — a container

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