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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — high quality
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. march — music
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. file — a line of people
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. march — the month
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. march — the month
  16. capital — money
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fine — all right
  23. file — a document
  24. capital — a city

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