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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. swing — to play on
  5. shower — to wash
  6. row — a line
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. prune — to trim
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. file — a line of people
  11. prune — to trim
  12. file — a tool
  13. fine — high quality
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fine — all right
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. row — to paddle
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. shower — rain
  23. swing — music
  24. file — a document

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