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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. face — to confront
  3. chest — of your body
  4. deal — to handle
  5. chest — a box
  6. craft — a skill
  7. face — part of the head
  8. craft — boats
  9. march — music
  10. capital — a city
  11. band — a ring
  12. march — the month
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. face — to point toward
  16. file — a line of people
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. file — a tool
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. capital — money
  22. band — a music group
  23. chest — of your body
  24. march — the month

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