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: key · last · file · jam · shower · mate · mine · bank

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. key — for a lock
  6. last — to go on
  7. key — in music
  8. mate — a partner
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — a friend
  14. last — finally
  15. file — a document
  16. shower — rain
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. shower — to wash
  21. last — final
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. file — a line of people

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