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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. file — a document
  3. mate — to breed
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mate — a partner
  10. key — the most important part
  11. mate — a friend
  12. key — in music
  13. lean — thin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. file — a tool
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. hand — help

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