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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. key — for a lock
  3. file — a document
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. rest — what's left
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. board — to get on
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. key — in music
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — to handle
  17. rest — a break
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. season — of the year
  20. file — a tool
  21. season — in sport
  22. board — a committee
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pitcher — a jug

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