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

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. file — a tool
  3. file — a document
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bass — the fish
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bass — low music
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rash — a series
  17. ground — crushed
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rash — hasty
  20. ground — a position
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bowl — a dish

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