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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. pop — soda
  3. rock — music
  4. rash — hasty
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. branch — a division
  7. file — a document
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rash — a series
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pop — music
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pop — to visit
  18. file — a line of people
  19. rock — a stone
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. net — after costs
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. rash — on the skin

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