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: rock · file · scale · firm · net · season · sharp · jam

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. net — after costs
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. scale — in music
  5. sharp — clever
  6. file — a tool
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. firm — a company
  12. file — a line of people
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rock — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. firm — steady
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. firm — decided
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. scale — size or range
  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