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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. file — a line of people
  3. fine — all right
  4. craft — boats
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. tear — from crying
  10. file — a document
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bat — the animal
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — a group
  16. bank — for money
  17. club — for dancing
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. file — a tool
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pass — a permit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fine — high quality

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