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: file · net · nail · lie · present · date · stock · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stock — shares
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. present — there
  6. file — a document
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. present — a gift
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. net — in sport
  13. present — the time now
  14. net — after costs
  15. stock — goods
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — for catching
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ball — a dance
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. file — a tool
  23. file — a line of people
  24. lie — an untruth

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