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: rash · fine · scale · bound · file · calf · bank · present

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. fine — high quality
  3. present — a gift
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. file — a document
  6. bound — certain
  7. bank — of a river
  8. rash — a series
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. fine — all right
  11. bank — for money
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bound — obliged
  14. present — the time now
  15. rash — hasty
  16. file — a line of people
  17. present — there
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bound — tied together
  20. scale — in music
  21. file — a tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. bank — for money
  24. calf — a young animal

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