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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. object — a thing
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. race — the arms race
  6. pound — a weight
  7. object — to protest
  8. file — a document
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. file — a tool
  11. capital — money
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. object — an aim
  18. rash — a series
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. race — a contest
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. rash — hasty
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. race — humankind

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