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 haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. file — a line of people
  4. object — a thing
  5. club — a group
  6. track — a song
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. club — for golf
  9. deal — to handle
  10. object — to protest
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. file — a document
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. club — for dancing
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. snap — to click
  19. track — to keep track
  20. object — an aim
  21. file — a tool
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. track — a path

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