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: file · rush · staff · cabinet · hide · bay · bound · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — a hole
  6. file — a line of people
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. file — a tool
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. staff — employees
  14. bound — certain
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. file — a document
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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