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

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. file — a document
  3. can — to be able to
  4. file — a line of people
  5. can — a tin
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. file — a tool
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. march — the month
  16. squash — to crush
  17. can — a tin
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. march — the month
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. march — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. squash — the sport

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