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 · file · foot · bound · degree · racket · track · straw

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. track — a path
  3. rash — hasty
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — temperature
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. degree — an amount
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bound — obliged
  11. file — a tool
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bound — certain
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rash — a series
  23. bound — tied together
  24. degree — from a university

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