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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pass — a permit
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mate — a friend
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rule — a law
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fork — in a road
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mate — a partner
  18. file — a document
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rule — government
  22. file — a tool
  23. mate — to breed
  24. fork — a garden tool

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