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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. file — a tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — a position
  6. pop — to visit
  7. file — a document
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. file — a line of people
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pop — soda
  13. rock — music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. rule — government
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. rule — a law
  22. pop — music
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bat — the animal

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