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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. file — a document
  3. bass — low music
  4. charge — electricity
  5. file — a line of people
  6. fall — the season
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. fall — to drop
  12. charge — a price
  13. bass — the fish
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bark — to shout
  16. file — a tool
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fine — all right
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. charge — in control
  24. bank — for money

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