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: pit · bound · bowl · file · chair · wake · stem · land

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. land — a country
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — obliged
  11. file — a tool
  12. pit — a hole
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. land — ground
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. land — to come down
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bound — tied together
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. bowl — a football final

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