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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. file — a tool
  3. perch — the fish
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cap — of ice
  6. file — a document
  7. rock — music
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cap — a lid
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. face — to confront
  13. drill — a practice
  14. face — part of the head
  15. drill — army training
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a line
  18. file — a line of people
  19. face — to point toward
  20. rock — a stone
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rock — to move gently

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