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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rest · deal · pitch · bank · last · bore · current · file

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. current — of water
  3. last — finally
  4. file — a tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. current — happening now
  10. bank — of a river
  11. last — final
  12. pitch — completely
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bank — for money
  21. current — electric
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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