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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. file — a tool
  2. fall — the season
  3. game — wild animals
  4. object — an aim
  5. court — for sport
  6. object — to protest
  7. court — of law
  8. spring — the season
  9. fall — to drop
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. object — a thing
  12. file — a document
  13. court — of a king
  14. spring — a coil
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. spring — of water
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. game — a match
  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