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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. saw — the tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. file — a line of people
  6. net — in sport
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. file — a tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. last — to go on
  13. file — a document
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. last — finally
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to click
  20. mate — a friend
  21. net — after costs
  22. mate — to breed
  23. last — final
  24. net — for catching

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