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: hand · pitcher · leaves · cabinet · racket · rush · file · clip

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. file — a line of people
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — a video
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — help
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. file — a tool
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. clip — for paper
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. file — a document

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