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 116 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. scale — size or range
  3. file — a document
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — obliged
  6. chip — for betting
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — a hat
  11. chip — to eat
  12. file — a tool
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cap — a lid
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. wound — an injury
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. file — a line of people
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. scale — in music
  24. stand — for spectators

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