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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. file — a line of people
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. scale — size or range
  7. file — a document
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. spell — letters
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. pop — music
  14. spell — magic
  15. scale — in music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pop — to visit
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pop — soda
  22. file — a tool
  23. swing — music
  24. spell — a short time

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