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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. track — a path
  3. scale — size or range
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bat — the animal
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. track — to keep track
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. file — a line of people
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. scale — in music
  18. track — a song
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wound — an injury
  22. season — in sport
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. season — of the year

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