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: foot · rule · squash · net · deal · cap · file · fall

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. file — a document
  3. squash — the sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. foot — a measure
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rule — government
  8. net — for catching
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. file — a line of people
  14. rule — a law
  15. net — after costs
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. fall — the season
  18. fall — to drop
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cap — a lid
  22. net — in sport
  23. file — a tool
  24. deal — a big deal

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