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: fall · shower · bore · chip · rule · file · safe · tear

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. fall — the season
  3. file — a document
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. tear — from crying
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. fall — to drop
  15. file — a line of people
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rule — government
  18. tear — to rip
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. shower — to wash
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. file — a tool
  23. bore — to tire
  24. shower — rain

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