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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. net — for catching
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. file — a tool
  9. hand — help
  10. bound — obliged
  11. track — a song
  12. bound — certain
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — a signal
  16. net — after costs
  17. rush — hurry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bound — tied together
  20. net — in sport
  21. cue — for pool
  22. file — a document
  23. track — to keep track
  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