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 120 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 · lean · wind · hide · rush · arm · kid · mug

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. file — a document
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mug — a cup
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. kid — child
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. kid — to tease
  19. file — a tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — to rob
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. mug — a face
  24. lean — to bend

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