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: hide · racket · season · file · fine · rash · hand · saw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. season — in sport
  6. fine — all right
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rash — hasty
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — high quality
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. file — a tool
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. season — of the year
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. file — a document
  21. rash — a series
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. file — a line of people
  24. hand — help

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