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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. file — a tool
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. net — after costs
  6. mate — to breed
  7. net — for catching
  8. file — a document
  9. court — for sport
  10. bound — certain
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. mate — a friend
  14. court — of law
  15. tube — a container
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bound — obliged
  18. net — in sport
  19. stand — to bear
  20. current — of water
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. file — a line of people
  23. court — of a king
  24. bound — tied together

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