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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. capital — money
  6. shower — rain
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. capital — a city
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. game — wild animals
  13. court — of law
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. game — a match
  20. file — a tool
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stand — to bear
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. file — a document

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