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: band · file · mine · mate · object · wax · pit · fork

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mate — a partner
  3. object — to protest
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. band — a ring
  6. object — an aim
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. band — a music group
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. mate — a friend
  13. pit — in a race
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. file — a tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mate — to breed
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wax — for sculpting

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