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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. file — a tool
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a hat
  5. march — the month
  6. fine — high quality
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. file — a line of people
  9. band — a music group
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. drill — army training
  12. mine — for digging
  13. march — music
  14. band — a ring
  15. fine — all right
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. march — the month
  19. drill — the tool
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. cap — a lid
  23. drill — a practice
  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