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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. foot — a measure
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. file — a line of people
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. roll — a list
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. roll — a cake
  16. present — a gift
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. present — there
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bass — the instrument

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