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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. sharp — clever
  5. stand — to bear
  6. dip — to sink
  7. staff — a stick
  8. file — a line of people
  9. march — music
  10. file — a tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. march — the month
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. file — a document
  18. pass — a permit
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wake — a trail
  23. march — the month
  24. staff — employees

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