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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. field — for sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a line of people
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. chip — to eat
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. file — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — a trail
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fine — high quality
  15. net — for catching
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. net — in sport
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. field — a subject
  20. fine — all right
  21. net — after costs
  22. chip — for betting
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. field — farmland

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