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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. file — a tool
  4. pit — in a race
  5. key — in music
  6. pit — a hole
  7. file — a document
  8. mine — for digging
  9. spell — letters
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — to cut
  12. ball — a great time
  13. key — the most important part
  14. clip — for paper
  15. spell — magic
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mug — a face
  24. ball — a dance

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