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: kid · net · cap · pitcher · current · swing · file · perch

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. net — after costs
  5. cap — a lid
  6. kid — child
  7. current — happening now
  8. swing — to play on
  9. cap — of ice
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. net — in sport
  13. current — electric
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. file — a tool
  16. kid — to tease
  17. file — a line of people
  18. swing — music
  19. net — for catching
  20. cap — a hat
  21. current — of water
  22. perch — the fish
  23. swing — in golf
  24. perch — for a bird

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