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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. file — a document
  3. present — there
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pop — to visit
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. file — a tool
  9. present — the time now
  10. last — final
  11. present — a gift
  12. last — finally
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. last — to go on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pop — music
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. file — a line of people
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pop — soda
  24. ball — a great time

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