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 120 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. file — a line of people
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. march — the month
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wake — a trail
  14. pass — a permit
  15. season — in sport
  16. file — a document
  17. season — of the year
  18. march — music
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. file — a tool
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. sharp — clever

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