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: sharp · file · rash · pitcher · chip · chest · craft · hide

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. file — a document
  3. rash — hasty
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. sharp — clever
  6. chip — for betting
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — a skill
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chest — of your body
  16. rash — a series
  17. chest — a box
  18. file — a tool
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chip — to eat
  22. craft — boats
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. file — a line of people

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