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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — a stone
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. file — a document
  11. rock — music
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bank — for money
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. file — a tool
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. lean — thin
  24. bat — the animal

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