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: court · rock · file · cold · date · pass · charge · racket

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. charge — electricity
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. charge — a price
  8. date — the fruit
  9. cold — an illness
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. charge — in control
  15. rock — a stone
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. court — of law
  19. rock — music
  20. cold — not warm
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. pass — a permit

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