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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. swing — music
  6. stock — goods
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. swing — in golf
  11. march — music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mug — a face
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a document
  19. mug — a cup
  20. file — a tool
  21. stock — shares
  22. mug — to rob
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. leaves — lets stay

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