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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. file — a tool
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a city
  6. hand — help
  7. file — a document
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. track — a song
  10. mug — a face
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. march — the month
  14. track — to keep track
  15. march — the month
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. hand — in cards
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. track — a path
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. file — a line of people
  23. march — music
  24. mug — to rob

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