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 124 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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — decided
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wound — an injury
  10. net — after costs
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wound — an injury
  13. net — for catching
  14. file — a line of people
  15. firm — steady
  16. net — in sport
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. saw — the tool
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. file — a document
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cabinet — ministers

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