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: row · present · craft · rock · fan · chest · file · spring

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. present — there
  3. rock — a stone
  4. file — a document
  5. spring — of water
  6. file — a line of people
  7. row — to paddle
  8. present — a gift
  9. row — a line
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. spring — a coil
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. craft — a skill
  18. spring — the season
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. craft — boats
  21. file — a tool
  22. rock — music
  23. present — the time now
  24. chest — a box

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