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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. present — there
  3. file — a document
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — for money
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pitch — completely
  8. snap — to click
  9. roll — a cake
  10. capital — a city
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. roll — a list
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. capital — money
  19. present — the time now
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. present — a gift
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bank — of a river

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