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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. pit — in a race
  3. file — a line of people
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. file — a tool
  9. mark — a trace
  10. bank — for money
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. spring — the season
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. spring — of water
  23. file — a document
  24. racket — for tennis

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