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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. bank — of a river
  5. ground — the earth
  6. file — a line of people
  7. ground — a position
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. swing — music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fork — in a road
  14. file — a document
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bank — for money
  18. swing — in golf

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