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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. club — for golf
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fine — all right
  6. file — a tool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. club — a group
  10. board — a committee
  11. bank — for money
  12. net — after costs
  13. bank — for money
  14. degree — an amount
  15. net — in sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — for dancing
  18. bank — of a river
  19. degree — temperature
  20. board — to get on
  21. net — for catching
  22. file — a document
  23. degree — from a university
  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