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 120 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: racket · court · key · pound · capital · present · file · chip

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. present — the time now
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. key — the most important part
  6. capital — money
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. chip — to eat
  9. file — a tool
  10. present — there
  11. court — for sport
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. court — of a king
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. present — a gift
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chip — for betting
  19. capital — a city
  20. court — of law
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — a weight
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. key — in music

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