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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rush — hurry
  5. club — a group
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ground — a position
  10. bat — the animal
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. club — for golf
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mate — a partner

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