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: track · file · bank · fine · row · fork · capital · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bank — for money
  3. capital — money
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fine — all right
  8. track — to keep track
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bank — for money
  13. cue — a signal
  14. track — a path
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. capital — a city
  17. row — a line
  18. track — a song
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. fine — high quality
  21. file — a tool
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. row — to paddle

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