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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. file — a line of people
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — the underground
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. board — to get on
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. charge — electricity
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. pop — music
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pop — soda
  20. charge — a price
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. charge — in control
  23. hand — help
  24. tube — in a tire

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