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: net · rush · ball · hand · row · object · file · wake

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. object — an aim
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. net — after costs
  11. file — a line of people
  12. net — for catching
  13. hand — in cards
  14. object — a thing
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wake — a trail
  17. row — a line
  18. object — to protest
  19. hand — help
  20. net — in sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. file — a tool

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