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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rush — hurry
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. swing — to play on
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. swing — music
  10. cold — an illness
  11. file — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bark — to shout
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. rule — a law
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pit — a hole
  19. file — a document
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rule — government
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bark — of a tree

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