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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. band — a ring
  4. race — a contest
  5. race — humankind
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. file — a document
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. firm — steady
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. fork — in a road
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. file — a tool
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. band — a music group
  18. race — the arms race
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. pound — a weight
  24. squash — to crush

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