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 116 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. mate — a partner
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. key — in music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mate — to breed
  8. net — for catching
  9. file — a document
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. swing — music
  18. net — after costs
  19. file — a tool
  20. key — the most important part
  21. net — in sport
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bat — for baseball

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