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 116 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. scale — size or range
  3. file — a tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fine — all right
  6. net — for catching
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. court — of law
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. court — of a king
  15. fine — high quality
  16. court — for sport
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. scale — in music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. file — a document
  22. net — after costs
  23. wound — an injury
  24. net — in sport

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