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: row · mate · mine · bowl · kid · file · board · rock

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. rock — music
  3. file — a document
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. mate — a partner
  6. row — a line
  7. rock — a stone
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mate — to breed
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. row — to paddle
  14. board — a committee
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. file — a tool
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. board — to get on
  21. mine — for digging
  22. file — a line of people
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mine — belonging to me

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