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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lean — to bend
  3. march — the month
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. stand — to bear
  7. file — a tool
  8. band — a ring
  9. march — music
  10. current — happening now
  11. firm — a company
  12. lean — thin
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. band — a music group
  15. current — of water
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. firm — decided
  21. current — electric
  22. file — a line of people
  23. march — the month
  24. file — a document

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