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: hide · hand · shower · scale · pit · file · lean · pop

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. lean — to bend
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. shower — to wash
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pit — in a race
  8. shower — rain
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. hand — in cards
  12. pop — music
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. lean — thin
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pop — soda
  19. hand — help
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pit — a hole
  22. scale — in music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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