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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. file — a tool
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — certain
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rush — hurry
  24. dip — to sink

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