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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — rain
  6. file — a document
  7. track — to keep track
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. file — a tool
  12. rock — music
  13. present — the time now
  14. track — a song
  15. pop — to visit
  16. present — there
  17. file — a line of people
  18. rock — a stone
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — a path
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. pop — music
  24. squash — the vegetable

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