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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. file — a document
  3. can — a tin
  4. bat — the animal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. file — a tool
  9. net — after costs
  10. can — to be able to
  11. deal — to handle
  12. net — in sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stem — to come from
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. land — a country
  19. land — ground
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. land — to come down
  23. net — for catching
  24. bat — for baseball

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