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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. row — to paddle
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — steady
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. roll — a list
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. stem — to come from
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — a face
  11. file — a tool
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. file — a line of people
  20. firm — a company
  21. row — a line
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wind — moving air
  24. file — a document

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