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: ball · root · file · pitch · hide · cue · rush · land

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. land — to come down
  3. ball — a great time
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. land — ground
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. file — a document
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. file — a line of people
  10. land — a country
  11. root — of a word
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cue — a hint
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ball — a dance
  17. root — of a plant
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. rush — hurry
  23. root — the cause
  24. hide — to keep secret

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