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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. drill — a practice
  3. firm — a company
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. rash — a series
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. last — final
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. last — finally
  11. foot — a measure
  12. file — a line of people
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rash — hasty
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. file — a tool
  18. band — a music group
  19. firm — steady
  20. file — a document
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. last — to go on
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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