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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. swing — to play on
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. file — a document
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. race — a contest
  13. shower — to wash
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. swing — music
  17. shower — rain
  18. race — humankind
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fine — all right
  24. race — the arms race

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