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: saw · stick · file · march · chip · hide · bulb · row

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. file — a line of people
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. row — a line
  5. chip — to eat
  6. march — the month
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. saw — the tool
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. file — a document
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bulb — for light
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. row — to paddle
  19. march — the month
  20. chip — for betting
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. march — music

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