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: lie · court · lash · file · current · spell · degree · bank

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. current — of water
  4. file — a line of people
  5. degree — an amount
  6. court — for sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. file — a document
  9. degree — from a university
  10. spell — a short time
  11. current — happening now
  12. degree — temperature
  13. spell — letters
  14. court — of law
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. court — of a king
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — electric
  21. bank — of a river
  22. spell — magic
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lie — to recline

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