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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. file — a line of people
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. march — the month
  5. ball — a dance
  6. press — newspapers
  7. march — the month
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. pit — in a race
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. press — to push
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. file — a tool
  17. march — music
  18. tube — a container
  19. press — a publisher
  20. file — a document
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. ball — a great time
  24. tube — the underground

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