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 120 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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — to sink
  4. field — farmland
  5. file — a document
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — a subject
  9. fine — all right
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. field — for sport
  15. lean — to bend
  16. fine — high quality
  17. net — for catching
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lean — thin
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. dip — a sauce

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