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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. file — a tool
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. can — a tin
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pop — music
  10. stem — to come from
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pop — soda
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a line of people
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. can — a tin
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — to visit
  24. coach — a trainer

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