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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bass — the fish
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. bat — the animal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — money
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spell — letters
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. track — a song
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. file — a tool
  21. capital — a city
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bass — low music
  24. bat — in an idiom

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