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: capital · pitch · net · can · track · mouse · hand · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. hand — help
  3. net — after costs
  4. can — to be able to
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. net — for catching
  7. file — a tool
  8. hand — in cards
  9. net — in sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. capital — a city
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. track — a path
  15. capital — money
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. track — a song
  18. pitch — completely
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. can — a tin
  23. track — to keep track
  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