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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. file — a document
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. chest — of your body
  9. object — a thing
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ball — a great time
  12. file — a line of people
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. saw — the tool
  18. ball — a dance
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. court — of law
  22. fork — in a road
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — to protest

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