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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. file — a document
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. file — a line of people
  5. court — of law
  6. bass — low music
  7. file — a tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. court — for sport
  10. bear — the animal
  11. court — of a king
  12. bear — the animal
  13. row — a line
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. capital — money
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. row — to paddle
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. capital — a city
  22. sharp — clever
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bass — the fish

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