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: safe · file · spring · bulb · press · stick · dip · tear

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. file — a line of people
  3. press — to push
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. file — a document
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. press — newspapers
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spring — the season
  13. bulb — for light
  14. press — a publisher
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. file — a tool
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tear — from crying
  19. tear — to rip
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. spring — of water
  24. spring — a coil

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