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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. march — the month
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. march — the month
  8. spring — a coil
  9. file — a tool
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to click
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bound — certain
  14. spring — the season
  15. file — a document
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spring — of water
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bound — tied together
  21. march — music
  22. bound — obliged
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. leaves — to go away

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