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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. can — a tin
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rush — hurry
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. march — the month
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — to be able to
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. file — a document
  13. march — music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rash — a series
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stand — to bear
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. march — the month
  20. dip — to sink
  21. current — electric
  22. file — a tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — of water

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