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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. track — a song
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. track — to keep track
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fine — high quality
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. file — a document
  10. chip — to eat
  11. pass — a permit
  12. root — of a word
  13. fine — all right
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. root — the cause
  16. chip — for betting
  17. root — of a plant
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. track — a path
  20. file — a line of people
  21. file — a tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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