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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. bat — the animal
  3. key — in music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. race — a contest
  8. saw — the tool
  9. race — the arms race
  10. race — humankind
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. key — the most important part
  13. squash — to crush
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. squash — the sport
  23. file — a tool
  24. key — for a lock

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