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 116 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: mark · deal · shower · file · staff · band · tube · racket

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. staff — a stick
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. mark — a grade
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. shower — to wash
  8. file — a line of people
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. tube — a container
  12. mark — a trace
  13. shower — rain
  14. band — a ring
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. deal — to handle
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. staff — employees
  19. file — a tool
  20. band — a music group
  21. staff — employees
  22. file — a document
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. racket — for tennis

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