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 · club · file · ground · cell · pitcher · fall

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. row — to paddle
  7. fall — the season
  8. file — a document
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. club — for golf
  12. file — a tool
  13. row — a line
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fall — to drop
  17. ground — a position
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. mate — to breed
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fall — to drop
  23. club — a group
  24. mate — a friend

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