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

Word bank: file · stick · cap · spell · lean · squash · fan · pitcher

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. file — a tool
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. file — a document
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cap — a lid
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. squash — to crush
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. squash — the sport

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