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 need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. game — wild animals
  7. march — music
  8. drill — army training
  9. march — the month
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — the month
  12. rush — hurry
  13. game — a match
  14. current — happening now
  15. stock — shares
  16. file — a line of people
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. current — of water
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stock — goods
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. current — electric
  24. drill — a practice

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