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: spell · mine · roll · file · fan · hide · lean · kid

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. roll — a cake
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. spell — magic
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. file — a tool
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — thin
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. spell — letters
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. kid — child
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. file — a line of people
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mine — for digging
  24. spell — a short time

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