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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. drill — a practice
  3. track — a path
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pitch — completely
  6. file — a document
  7. deal — to handle
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. prune — to trim
  11. drill — army training
  12. track — to keep track
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. track — a song
  16. file — a line of people
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. file — a tool
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. club — for golf
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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