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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. net — in sport
  8. file — a line of people
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. rush — hurry
  13. file — a tool
  14. rash — a series
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. root — of a word
  17. file — a document
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. root — the cause

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