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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  3. net — in sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. cap — a lid
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — a leader
  9. file — a tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bank — for money
  13. cap — a hat
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bank — of a river
  21. file — a document
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. file — a line of people
  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