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: kick · file · cabinet · fan · track · chair · bowl · net

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. kick — in football
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. track — a song
  5. net — in sport
  6. file — a document
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — after costs
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — for catching
  17. file — a tool
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. track — a path
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. chair — a leader
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. track — to keep track

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