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: field · mouse · wind · game · cabinet · file · pound · vault

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. pound — a weight
  5. file — a document
  6. field — for sport
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a tool
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. game — wild animals
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. field — farmland
  19. game — a match
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wind — moving air
  24. field — a subject

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