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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. file — a document
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. court — of law
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. file — a line of people
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. court — of a king
  11. fall — to drop
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. court — for sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. can — to be able to
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a tool
  23. track — a path
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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