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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. file — a document
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. vault — a safe
  8. file — a tool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — a match
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. file — a line of people

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