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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: file · pit · board · tear · hide · stick

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. board — a committee
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tear — from crying
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. pit — in a race
  9. tear — to rip
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. tear — from crying
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — to get on
  17. file — a document
  18. hide — animal 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