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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. file — a tool
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. season — of the year
  4. key — for a lock
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pit — in a race
  7. degree — an amount
  8. last — final
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. last — finally
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. season — in sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. degree — temperature
  17. degree — from a university
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. last — to go on
  21. file — a document
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. wake — a trail
  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