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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. race — a contest
  4. file — a line of people
  5. roll — a cake
  6. file — a document
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. stock — shares
  9. roll — a list
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. file — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. race — the arms race
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. race — humankind
  18. stock — goods
  19. fork — in a road
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — to eat with

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